in peace. Perchance the dishes are not as
delicate as those whereof
thou art wont to eat, still deign grant me this request, I pray
thee, and
refresh thyself with my victual." Quoth Khwajah Hasan: "O
lord, I am beholden to thee for thy
graciousinvitation, and with
pleasure would I sit at meat with thee, but for a special reason
must I needs excuse myself. Suffer me
therefore to depart, for I may
not tarry longer, nor accept thy
gracious offer." Hereto the host made
reply: "I pray thee, O my lord, tell me what may be the reason so
urgent and weighty." And Khwajah Hasan answered: "The cause is this. I
must not, by order of the
physician who cured me
lately of my
complaint, eat aught of food prepared with salt." Quoth Ali Baba:
"An this be all,
deprive me not, I pray thee, of the honor thy company
will confer upon me. As the meats are not yet cooked, I will forbid
the kitchener to make use of any salt. Tarry here
awhile, and I will
return anon to thee." So
saying, Ali Baba went in to Morgiana and bade
her not put salt into any one of the dishes, and she, while busied
with her cooking, fell to marveling greatly at such order and asked
her master, "Who is he that eateth meat
wherein is no salt?" He
answered: "What to thee mattereth it who he may be? Only do thou my
bidding." She rejoined: "'Tis well. All shall be as thou wishest." But
in mind she wondered at the man who made such strange request, and
desired much to look upon him.
Wherefore, when all the meats were ready for serving up, she
helped the slave boy Abdullah to spread the table and set on the meal,
and no sooner did she see Khwajah Hasan than she knew who he was,
albeit he had disguised himself in the dress of a stranger merchant.
Furthermore, when she eyed him attentively, she espied a
dagger hidden
under his robe. "So ho!" quoth she to herself. "This is the cause
why the
villain eateth not of salt, for that he seeketh an opportunity
to slay my master, whose
mortal enemy he is. Howbeit I will be
beforehand with him and
dispatch him ere he find a chance to harm my
lord." Now when Ali Baba and Khwajah Hasan had eaten their
sufficiency, the slave boy Abdullah brought Morgiana word to serve the
dessert, and she cleared the table and set on fruit fresh and dried in
salvers, then she placed by the side of Ali Baba a small tripod for
three cups with a flagon of wine, and
lastly she went off with the
slave boy Abdullah into another room, as though she would herself
eat supper. Then Khwajah Hasan- that is, the captain of the
robbers- perceiving that the coast was clear, exulted mightily,
saying to himself: "The time hath come for me to take full
vengeance. With one
thrust of my
dagger I will
dispatch this fellow,
then escape across the garden and wend my ways. His
nephew will not
adventure to stay my hand, for an he do but move a finger or toe
with that
intent, another stab with settle his
earthly account.
Still must I wait
awhile until the slave boy and the cookmaid shall
have eaten and lain down to rest them in the kitchen."
Morgiana, however, watched him
wistfully and divining his purpose,
said in her mind: "I must not allow this
villainadvantage over my
lord, but by some means I must make void his
project and at once put
an end to the life of him." Accordingly the
trusty slave girl
changed her dress with all haste and donned such clothes as dancers
wear. She veiled her face with a
costlykerchief, around her head
she bound a fine
turban, and about her middle she tied a waistcloth
worked with gold and silver,
wherein she stuck a
dagger whose hilt was
rich in filigree and
jewelry. Thus disguised, she said to the slave
boy Abdullah: "Take now thy tambourine, that we may play and sing
and dance in honor of our master's guest." So he did her bidding and
the twain went into the room, the lad playing and the lass
following. Then, making a low congee, they asked leave to perform
and disport and play, and Ali Baba gave
permission,
saying, "Dance now
and do your best that this our guest may he mirthful and merry." Quoth
Khwajah Hasan, "O my lord, thou dost indeed provide much pleasant
entertainment."
Then the slave boy Abdullah,
standing by, began to strike the
tambourine
whilst Morgiana rose up and showed her perfect art and
pleased them
vastly with
graceful steps and sportive
motion. And
suddenly,
drawing the poniard from her belt, she brandished it and
paced from side to side, a
spectacle which pleased them most of all.
At times also she stood before them, now clapping the sharp-edged
dagger under armpit and then
setting it against her breast. Lastly she
took the tambourine from the slave boy Abdullah, and still
holding the
poniard in her right, she went round for largess as is the custom
amongst merrymakers. First she stood before Ali Baba, who threw a gold
coin into the tambourine, and his
nephewlikewise put in an ashrafi.
Then Khwajah Hasan,
seeing her about to approach him, fell to
pulling out his purse, when she heartened her heart, and quick as
the blinding levin she plunged the
dagger into his vitals, and
forthwith the miscreant fell back stone-dead.
Ali Baba was dismayed, and cried in his wrath: "O
unhappy, what is
this deed thou hast done to bring about my ruin?" But she replied:
"Nay, O my lord, rather to save thee and not to cause thee harm have I
slain this man. Loosen his garments and see what thou wilt discover
thereunder." So Ali Baba searched the dead man's dress and found
concealed
therein a
dagger.
Then said Morgiana: "This
wretch was thy
deadly enemy. Consider
him well. He is none other than the oil merchant, the captain of the
band of robbers. Whenas he came
hither with
intent to take thy life,
he would not eat thy salt, and when thou toldest me that he wished not
any in the meat, I suspected him, and at first sight I was
assuredthat he would surely do thee die. Almighty Allah he praised, 'tis even
as I thought." Then Ali Baba lavished upon her thanks and
expressions of
gratitude,
saying, "Lo, these two times hast thou saved
me from his hand," and falling upon her neck, he cried: "See, thou art
free, and as
reward for this thy fealty I have
wedded thee to my
nephew." Then, turning to the youth, he said: "Do as I bid thee and
thou shalt
prosper. I would that thou marry Morgiana, who is a model
of duty and
loyalty. Thou seest now yon Khwajah Hasan sought thy
friendship only that he might find opportunity to take my life, but
this
maiden with her good sense and her
wisdom hath slain him and
saved us."
Ali Baba's
nephewstraightway consented to marry Morgiana. After
which the three, raising the dead body, bore it forth with all heed
and
vigilance and privily buried it in the garden, and for many
years no one know aught thereof. In due time Ali Baba married his
brother's son to Morgiana with great pomp, and spread a bride feast in
most
sumptuous fashion for his friends and neighbors, and made merry
with them and enjoyed singing and all manner of dancing and
amusements. He
prospered in every
undertaking and Time smiled upon him
and a new source of
wealth was opened to him.
For fear of the
thieves he had not once visited the
jungle cave
wherein lay the treasure since the day he had carried forth the corpse
of his brother Kasim. But some time after, he mounted his hackney
one morning and journeyed t
hither, with all care and
caution, till
finding no signs of man or horse, and re
assured in his mind, he
ventured to draw near the door. Then, alighting from his beast, he
tied it up to a tree, and going to the entrance,
pronounced the
words which he had not forgotten, "Open, Sesame!" Hereat, as was its
wont, the door flew open, and entering
thereby he saw the goods and
hoard of gold and silver
untouched and lying as he had left them. So
he felt
assured that not one of all the
thieves remained alive, and
that save himself there was not a soul who knew the secret of the
place. At once he bound in his saddlecloth a load of ashrafis such
as his horse could bear and brought it home, and in after days he
showed the hoard to his sons and sons' sons and taught them how the
door could he caused to open and shut. Thus Ali Baba and his household
lived all their lives in
wealth and joyance in that city where erst he
had been a pauper, and by the
blessing of that secret treasure he rose
to high degree and dignities.