The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
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 she had observed what might follow through a
window of the kitchen, which opened into the yard.
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 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,
smelled the hot boiled oil, which sent forth a steam out of the
jar. Hence he suspected 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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