Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2 — John Shaqi
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
morning he rose betimes 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[42] 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 Wálí;[43] 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 aforesaid 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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