Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Once upon a time, in a town in Persia, there lived two brothers named Cassim and Ali Baba. Cassim, the elder, married a wealthy woman and became a rich merchant. Ali Baba, however, married a poor woman and lived a humble life as a woodcutter. Every day, Ali Baba would venture into the forest to gather wood, which he would then sell in the town to make a modest living.

One day, while Ali Baba was working in the forest, he heard the sound of galloping horses. Fearing for his life, he quickly climbed a tree and hid among its thick leaves. From his perch, he saw a large band of forty thieves, each heavily armed, approaching a cave. The leader of the thieves dismounted and stood before a large rock. Ali Baba watched in amazement as the leader uttered the words, "Open, Sesame!" The rock moved aside, revealing the entrance to a hidden cave. The thieves entered the cave, and after some time, they emerged with their saddlebags now empty, having stashed their loot inside.

Once the thieves had departed, Ali Baba cautiously descended from the tree and approached the cave. Standing before the rock, he hesitated for a moment before repeating the magic words he had heard: "Open, Sesame!" To his astonishment, the rock moved aside, and he found himself at the entrance of the cave. Inside, he saw piles of gold, jewels, silks, and treasures of unimaginable wealth. Ali Baba filled his bags with as much treasure as he could carry and hurried home, eager to share the good fortune with his wife.

Upon reaching home, Ali Baba showed his wife the treasure and told her of his incredible discovery. Overwhelmed by the wealth, she suggested they measure it to know exactly how much they had. She borrowed a measure from Cassim's wife, not revealing what they intended to measure. However, Cassim's wife, being curious, had smeared some wax at the bottom of the measure, and when Ali Baba's wife returned it, a gold coin had stuck to it. Cassim's wife showed the coin to Cassim, who demanded to know where Ali Baba had acquired such wealth.

The next day, Cassim confronted Ali Baba, who reluctantly revealed the secret of the cave and the magic words. Greedy and envious, Cassim decided to take advantage of this knowledge and went to the cave alone. He stood before the rock and commanded, "Open, Sesame!" The rock moved aside, and Cassim entered, filling his bags with as much treasure as he could. However, in his greed, he forgot the magic words to open the rock and found himself trapped inside.

Later, the thieves returned to their cave and discovered Cassim inside with their treasures. Enraged, they killed him and left his body in the cave as a warning to others. When Cassim failed to return home, his wife went to Ali Baba for help. Ali Baba went to the cave and found his brother's lifeless body. Grieving, he brought the body home and, with the help of Morgiana, a clever slave girl, arranged a quiet burial.

Realizing the danger posed by the thieves, Ali Baba and Morgiana devised a plan to protect themselves. They moved the treasure to Ali Baba's house and took precautions to ensure the thieves would not find out. Morgiana, known for her cunning, played a crucial role in protecting Ali Baba and his family.

The thieves, upon discovering Cassim's body was gone, realized someone else knew about their secret. Determined to find and eliminate this person, they set out to discover who it was. The leader of the thieves, disguised as a merchant, visited the town, eventually finding Ali Baba's house. He marked the door with a piece of chalk to identify it for the thieves later. Morgiana, however, noticed the mark and cleverly marked all the other doors in the neighborhood with chalk, confusing the thieves.

When the leader returned with his men, they couldn't identify the house. Furious at their failure, the leader devised another plan. He returned to town with oil jars, one of which he filled with oil while hiding a thief in each of the remaining jars. He asked Ali Baba for shelter for the night, claiming he was a poor oil merchant. Ali Baba, being kind-hearted, agreed. Morgiana, however, grew suspicious and discovered the hidden thieves. She boiled oil and poured it into each jar, killing the thieves.

The next morning, Morgiana revealed her actions to Ali Baba, who was grateful for her quick thinking and bravery. The leader of the thieves, now alone, attempted one final time to kill Ali Baba. Disguised as a merchant again, he infiltrated Ali Baba's house. Morgiana, however, recognized him and performed a dagger dance during which she plunged the dagger into his heart, killing him instantly.

With the thieves eliminated, Ali Baba and his family lived in peace. He rewarded Morgiana by giving her freedom and marrying her to his son. Ali Baba continued to live modestly, sharing his wealth with those in need and keeping the secret of the cave safe.

Once upon a time, in a bustling town in Persia, there lived two brothers named Cassim and Ali Baba. Cassim, the elder, married a wealthy woman and soon became a prosperous merchant, living in a grand house with servants and luxuries. In stark contrast, Ali Baba, who had married a poor woman, led a humble life as a woodcutter. Every day, Ali Baba would venture into the forest to gather wood, which he would then sell in the town to make a modest living.

One fateful day, while Ali Baba was working in the forest, he heard the sound of galloping horses. Fearing for his life, he quickly climbed a tall tree and hid among its thick leaves. From his perch, he saw a large band of forty thieves, each heavily armed and mounted on powerful horses, approaching a cave. The leader of the thieves dismounted and stood before a large rock. Ali Baba watched in amazement as the leader uttered the words, "Open, Sesame!" The rock moved aside, revealing the entrance to a hidden cave. The thieves entered the cave, and after some time, they emerged with their saddlebags now empty, having stashed their loot inside.

Once the thieves had departed, Ali Baba cautiously descended from the tree and approached the cave. Standing before the rock, he hesitated for a moment before repeating the magic words he had heard: "Open, Sesame!" To his astonishment, the rock moved aside, and he found himself at the entrance of the cave. Inside, he saw piles of gold, jewels, silks, and treasures of unimaginable wealth. Ali Baba filled his bags with as much treasure as he could carry and hurried home, eager to share the good fortune with his wife.

Upon reaching home, Ali Baba showed his wife the treasure and told her of his incredible discovery. Overwhelmed by the wealth, she suggested they measure it to know exactly how much they had. She borrowed a measure from Cassim's wife, not revealing what they intended to measure. However, Cassim's wife, being curious, had smeared some wax at the bottom of the measure, and when Ali Baba's wife returned it, a gold coin had stuck to it. Cassim's wife showed the coin to Cassim, who demanded to know where Ali Baba had acquired such wealth.

The next day, Cassim confronted Ali Baba, who reluctantly revealed the secret of the cave and the magic words. Greedy and envious, Cassim decided to take advantage of this knowledge and went to the cave alone. He stood before the rock and commanded, "Open, Sesame!" The rock moved aside, and Cassim entered, filling his bags with as much treasure as he could. However, in his greed, he forgot the magic words to open the rock and found himself trapped inside.

Later, the thieves returned to their cave and discovered Cassim inside with their treasures. Enraged, they killed him and left his body in the cave as a warning to others. When Cassim failed to return home, his wife went to Ali Baba for help. Ali Baba went to the cave and found his brother's lifeless body. Grieving, he brought the body home and, with the help of Morgiana, a clever slave girl, arranged a quiet burial.

Realizing the danger posed by the thieves, Ali Baba and Morgiana devised a plan to protect themselves. They moved the treasure to Ali Baba's house and took precautions to ensure the thieves would not find out. Morgiana, known for her cunning, played a crucial role in protecting Ali Baba and his family.

The thieves, upon discovering Cassim's body was gone, realized someone else knew about their secret. Determined to find and eliminate this person, they set out to discover who it was. The leader of the thieves, disguised as a merchant, visited the town, eventually finding Ali Baba's house. He marked the door with a piece of chalk to identify it for the thieves later. Morgiana, however, noticed the mark and cleverly marked all the other doors in the neighborhood with chalk, confusing the thieves.

When the leader returned with his men, they couldn't identify the house. Furious at their failure, the leader devised another plan. He returned to town with oil jars, one of which he filled with oil while hiding a thief in each of the remaining jars. He asked Ali Baba for shelter for the night, claiming he was a poor oil merchant. Ali Baba, being kind-hearted, agreed. Morgiana, however, grew suspicious and discovered the hidden thieves. She boiled oil and poured it into each jar, killing the thieves.

The next morning, Morgiana revealed her actions to Ali Baba, who was grateful for her quick thinking and bravery. The leader of the thieves, now alone, attempted one final time to

kill Ali Baba. Disguised as a merchant again, he infiltrated Ali Baba's house. Morgiana, however, recognized him and performed a dagger dance during which she plunged the dagger into his heart, killing him instantly.

With the thieves eliminated, Ali Baba and his family lived in peace. He rewarded Morgiana by giving her freedom and marrying her to his son. Ali Baba continued to live modestly, sharing his wealth with those in need and keeping the secret of the cave safe.