Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Science
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
and going to Ali Baba said, "O my brother, to all appearance thou
art poor and needy; but in effect thou hast a store of wealth so
abundant that perforce thou must weigh thy gold with scales."
Quoth Ali Baba, "What is this thou sayest? I understand thee not;
make clear thy purport;" and quoth Kasim with ready rage, "Feign
not that thou art ignorant of what I say and think not to deceive
me." Then showing him the Ashrafi he cried, "Thousands of gold
coins such as these thou hast put by; and meanwhile my wife found
this one stuck to the cup of the scales." Then Ali Baba
understood how both Kasim and his wife knew that he had store of
Ashrafis, and said in his mind that it would not avail him to
keep the matter hidden, but would rather cause ill-will and
mischief; and thus he was induced to tell his brother every whit
concerning the bandits[FN#293] and also of the treasure trove in
the cave. When he had heard the story, Kasim exclaimed, 'I would
fain learn of thee the certainty of the place where thou foundest
the moneys; also the magical words whereby the door opened and
closed; and I forewarn thee an thou tell me not the whole truth,
I will give notice of those Ashrafis to the Wali;[FN#294] then
shalt thou forfeit all thy wealth and be disgraced and thrown
into gaol." Thereupon Ali Baba told him his tale not forgetting
the magical words; and Kasim who kept careful heed of all these
matters next day set out, driving ten mules he had hired, and
readily found the place which Ali Baba had described to him. And
when he came to the afore said rock and to the tree whereon Ali
Baba had hidden himself and he had made sure of the door he cried
in great joy, "Open, O Simsim!" The portal yawned wide at once
and Kasim went within and saw the piles of jewels and treasures
lying ranged all around; and, as soon as he stood amongst them
the door shut after him as wont to do. He walked about in ecstasy
marvelling at the treasures, and when weary of admiration he
gathered together bags of Ashrafis, a sufficient load for his ten
mules, and placed them by the entrance in readiness to be carried
outside and set upon the beasts. But by the will of Allah
Almighty he had clean forgotten the cabalistic words and cried
out, "Open, O Barley!" whereat the door refused to move.
Astonished and confused beyond measure he named the names of all
manner of grains save sesame, which had slipped from his memory
as though he had never heard the word; whereat in his dire
distress he heeded not the Ashrafis that lay heaped at the
entrance and paced to and fro, backwards and forwards, within the
cave sorely puzzled and perplexed. The wealth whose sight had
erewhile filled his heart with joy and gladness was now the cause
of bitter grief and sadness.--And as the morn began to dawn
Shahrazad held her peace till
The end of the Six Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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