Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
Morgiana, while they were eating, made the necessary preparations for
executing one of the boldest acts ever meditated, and had just
determined, when Abdoollah came for the dessert of fruit, which she
carried up, and as soon as he had taken the meat away, set upon the
table; after that, she placed three glasses by Ali Baba, and going out,
took Abdoollah with her to sup, and to give Ali Baba the more liberty of
conversation with his guest.
Khaujeh Houssain, or rather the captain of the robbers, thought he had
now a favourable opportunity of being revenged on Ali Baba. "I will,"
said he to himself, "make the father and son both drunk: the son, whose
life I intend to spare, will not be able to prevent my stabbing his
father to the heart; and while the slaves are at supper, or asleep in
the kitchen, I can make my escape over the gardens as before."
Instead of going to supper, Morgiana, who had penetrated the intentions
of the counterfeit Khaujeh Houssain, would not give him time to put his
villainous design into execution, but dressed herself neatly with a
suitable head-dress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt
girdle, to which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same
metal, and put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised
herself, she said to Abdoollah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and
divert our master and his son's guest, as we do sometimes when he is
alone."
Abdoollah took his tabor and played all the way into the hall before
Morgiana, who when she came to the door made a low obeisance, with a
deliberate air, in order to draw attention, and by way of asking leave
to exhibit her skill. Abdoollah, seeing that his master had a mind to
say something, left off playing. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba,
"and let Khaujeh Houssain see what you can do, that he may tell us what
he thinks of you. But, sir," said he, turning toward his guest, "do not
think that I put myself to any expense to give you this diversion, since
these are my slave and my cook and housekeeper; and I hope you will not
find the entertainment they give us disagreeable."
Khaujeh Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began
to fear he should not be able to improve the opportunity he thought he
had found: but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure it another
time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the father and son;
therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would have declined the
dance, he had the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he
saw pleased his host.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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