Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep the
business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till midnight.
She repented of her foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of
penetrating into the affairs of her brother and sister-in-law. She spent
all the night in weeping; and as soon as it was day, went to them,
telling them, by her tears, the cause of her coming. Ali Baba did not
wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go and see what was become
of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three asses, begging of her
first to moderate her affliction. He went to the forest, and when he
came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor the mules in his
way, was seriously alarmed at finding some blood spilt near the door,
which he took for an ill omen; but when he had pronounced the word, and
the door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of
his brother's body. Without adverting to the little fraternal affection
his brother had shewn for him, Ali Baba went into the cave to find
something to enshroud his remains, and having loaded one of his asses
with them, covered them over with wood. The other two asses he loaded
with bags of gold, covering them with wood also as before; and then
bidding the door shut, came away; but was so cautious as to stop some
time at the end of the forest, that he might not go into the town before
night. When he came home, he drove the two asses loaded with gold into
his little yard, and left the care of unloading them to his wife, while
he led the other to his sister-in-law's house.
Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, an
intelligent slave, fruitful in inventions to insure success in the most
difficult undertakings: and Ali Baba knew her to be such. When he came
into the court, he unloaded the ass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to
her: "The first thing I ask of you is an inviolable secrecy, both for
your mistress's sake and mine. Your master's body is contained in these
two bundles, and our business is, to bury him as if he had died a
natural death. Go, tell your mistress I want to speak with her; and mind
what I have said to you."
Morgiana went to her mistress, and Ali Baba followed her. "Well,
brother," said she, with impatience, "what news do you bring me of my
husband? I perceive no comfort in your countenance." "Sister," answered
Ali Baba, "I cannot satisfy your inquiries unless you hear my story
without speaking a word; for it is of as great importance to you as to
me to keep what has happened secret." "Alas!" said she, "this preamble
lets me know that my husband is not to be found; but at the same time I
know the necessity of secrecy, and I must constrain myself: say on, I
will hear you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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