Though naturally much surprised at finding a man in the jar instead of
the oil she wanted, she immediately felt the importance of keeping
silence, as Ali Baba, his family, and herself were in great danger;
and collecting herself, without showing the least emotion, she
answered, "Not yet, but presently." She went quietly in this manner to
all the jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.
By this means Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba had admitted
thirty-eight robbers into his house, and that this pretended oil
merchant was their captain. She made what haste she could to fill her
oil pot, and returned into the kitchen, where, as soon as she had
lighted her lamp, she took a great kettle, went again to the oil jar,
filled the kettle, set it on a large wood fire, and as soon as it
boiled, went and poured enough into every jar to stifle and destroy
the robber within.
When this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed
without any noise, as she had projected, she returned into the kitchen
with the empty kettle; and having put out the great fire she had made
to boil the oil, and leaving just enough to make the broth, put out
the lamp also, and remained silent, resolving not to go to rest till,
through a window of the kitchen, which opened into the yard, she had
seen what might follow.
She had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up,
opened the window, and, finding no light and hearing no noise or any
one stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing
little stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the
sound they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving
anything whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began
to grow very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third
time, and could not comprehend the reason that none of them should
answer his signal. Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard,
and going to the first jar, while asking the robber, whom he thought
alive, if he was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent
forth a steam out of the jar. Hence he knew that his plot to murder
Ali Baba and plunder his house was discovered. Examining all the jars,
one after another, he found that all his gang were dead; and, enraged
to despair at having failed in his design, he forced the lock of a
door that led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over the walls
made his escape.
When Morgiana saw him depart, she went to bed, satisfied and pleased
to have succeeded so well in saving her master and family.
Ali Baba rose before day, and, followed by his slave, went to the
baths, entirely ignorant of the important event which had happened at
home.
When he returned from the baths he was very much surprised to see the
oil jars, and to learn that the merchant was not gone with the mules.
He asked Morgiana, who opened the door, the reason of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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