The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to
Morgiana for saving his life a second time, embraced her:
"Morgiana," said he, "I gave you your liberty, and then promised
you that my gratitude should not stop there, but that I would soon
give you higher proofs of its sincerity, which I now do by making
you my daughter-in-law." Then addressing himself to his son, he
said: "I believe you, son, to be so dutiful a child, that you will
not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You see that Cogia Houssain
sought your friendship with a treacherous design to take away my
life; and if he had succeeded, there is no doubt but he would have
sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by marrying
Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own."
The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but
also because it was agreeable to his inclination. After this they
thought of burying the captain of the robbers with his comrades,
and did it so privately that nobody discovered their bones till
many years after, when no one had any concern in the publication
of this remarkable history. A few days afterward Ali Baba
celebrated the nuptials of his son and Morgiana with great
solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing and
spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
neighbors, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives
of the marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with
Morgiana's good qualities, commended his generosity and goodness
of heart. Ali Baba did not visit the robbers' cave for a whole
year, as he supposed the other two might be alive.
At the year's end, when he found they had not made any attempt to
disturb him, he had the curiosity to make another journey. He
mounted his horse, and when he came to the cave he alighted, tied
his horse to a tree, then approaching the entrance, and
pronouncing the words, "Open, Sesame!" the door opened. He entered
the cavern and by the condition he found things in, judged that
nobody had been there since the captain had fetched the goods for
his shop. From this time he believed he was the only person in the
world who had the secret of opening the cave, and that all the
treasure was at his sole disposal. He put as much gold into his
saddle-bag as his horse could carry, and returned to town. Some
years later he carried his son to the cave and taught him the
secret, which descended to his posterity, who, using their good-
fortune with moderation, lived in honor and splendor.
THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR THE WONDERFUL LAMP
There once lived, in one of the large and rich cities of China, a
tailor, named Mustapha. He was very poor. He could hardly, by his
daily labor, maintain himself and his family, which consisted only
of his wife and a son.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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