Once upon a time there were two brothers, named Ali Baba and Cassim, who lived in a certain town of Persia1. These two brothers were not alike in any way, for Cassim was rich and haughty2, while Ali Baba was a very poor and humble wood-cutter3.
One day Ali Baba took his three asses and went into a forest as usual to cut wood. He had just finished loading his asses when he saw a number of horsemen galloping4 towards him; and feeling sure that they were robbers, he climbed up into a tree near a steep5 rock.
As the horsemen drew near6, Ali Baba counted forty of them; and from the great bags of plunder7 that they carried, he knew they were indeed robbers. To his alarm8, they stopped beneath his tree, and their leader then went forward to the rock, and called out, “Open, Sesame9!”
Instantly10 a door opened in the rock; the robbers, with their bags, marched through, and the door shut.
Presently all the thieves trooped out11 again, with empty bags this time, and mounted12 their horses. When the last had come out, the captain13 said, “Shut, Sesame!” and the rock-door closed again. The robbers then rode off.
After waiting till they were out of sight14, Ali Baba came down from his tree. And being curious to know what lay on the other side of the magic door, he went up to the rock and called out, “Open, Sesame!” Instantly the door flew open, and as he entered, it shut again.
Ali Baba found himself in a large, well-lighted cave15, full of wonderful treasures—silks and rich cloths, and great heaps of gold16, silver and jewels.
He quickly gathered together as many bags of gold as he thought his asses could carry; and having opened the door by means of17 the magic word, he loaded18 the animals with them, and set off19 home.
When he got to his poor hut20, he emptied the bags of their precious gold; and he and his wife rejoiced21 together, knowing that they were now rich for life.
Greedy22 Cassim soon got to know of his brother's treasure, and being very jealous, he went to Ali Baba and forced him to say how he had come by so much gold.
Having learned where the robbers' cave was, Cassim made up his mind to go there himself for treasure, not being content with the riches he already had. So next day he took ten mules23 into the forest, and having found the rock of which Ali Baba had told him, he stood before it and said, “Open, Sesame!” At once the door flew open, and as Cassim entered the cave, it shut of its own accord24.
Quickly he gathered together a great many bags of gold and jewels; but when he was ready to come out, he found that he had forgotten the magic word that would open the door. He called out every name he could think of, but still the door remained shut.
Soon the robbers returned to the cave; and although Cassim tried to hide behind the bags of gold, they found him out, and killed him. Then they cut his body into four pieces, and hung them up25 on either side of the cave door, to frighten anyone else who should venture26 in; and having emptied their bags, they rode away once more.
Now, when Cassim did not return in the evening, his wife grew uneasy, and went to tell her fears to Ali Baba. He promised to look for her husband the next day, and early in the morning went off to the robbers' cave. The first sight that met his eyes on entering the cave was his brother's quartered27 body. Full of horror, he took the quarters down, and placed them on one of his asses; then, loading the two others with gold, he returned home.
He gave the dead body into the charge of a beautiful and clever slave-girl of Cassim's, called Morgiana, and she went to an old cobbler, named Baba Mustapha, who, offered some pieces of gold, allowed himself to be blindfolded and led to Cassim's house28. There Morgiana bade him sew up29 the four quarters of Cassim's body; and when this was done she blindfolded him again, and led him back to his shop. Cassim's body was then buried in the usual manner, without anyone learning the secret of his death.
A short time after, Cassim's wife was married to Ali Baba, who, taking his own family and belongings30 with him, went to live in his brother's house. As such marriages were common in his country, no one was surprised.
In the meantime31, when the robbers came back to their cave and found Cassim's body gone, they knew that the secret of their hiding-place was known to someone else; and they made up their minds to find out all they could about the man they had killed and his friends.
So one of their number was disguised32, and sent into the town early one morning to learn the news of the place; and the first person he spoke to happened to be old Mustapha. It was not long before the old cobbler told him of the strange piece of work he had done lately; and the robber, feeling sure that the body Mustapha spoke of must be the one from the cave, promised him gold if he would show him the house he had been taken to, saying that if he were blindfolded again he might remember the turnings33.
Mustapha agreed, and, after being blindfolded, led the way to Ali Baba's house. Then the robber, having put a chalk-mark34 on the door so he might know it again, gave the old man his gold, and returned to the cave.
It was not long before Morgiana came out of the house, and saw the chalk-mark on the door. Thinking it might mean danger to her master, she marked all the other doors in the street with chalk, in the same way. So when the robbers came into the street next day, meaning to attack their enemy, they could not tell which was the right house, and were obliged to35 return to their cave.
They soon sent another of their band to find out the house for them, and this man marked the door with red chalk. Morgiana, however, spied36 his mark also, and marked all the other doors with red chalk, in the same manner. So when the robbers came a second time, they were no better off37 than before.
At last the robber captain got old Mustapha to lead him to Ali Baba's house. He did not mark the door, but noted it very carefully, so that he could not fail to know it again. He then got a number of large leather oil-jars, put a robber into each, and slung them over mules38; and having disguised himself as a merchant39, he led them straight to Ali Baba's house one evening, and asked if he might pass the night there, as it was growing late.
Ali Baba granted him leave to do so40, and after supper he was led to the room where he was to rest.
Now, Morgiana, having run short of41 oil for her lamp that night, thought she would take a little from the oil-merchant's jars in the yard.
But she was filled with surprise when, on going up to42 one of the jars, she heard a voice whisper, “Is it time?” she was brave enough not to cry out, but to whisper in answer, “Not yet; but presently43!” and, on hearing the same whisper from the other jars, to give the same answer.
She now knew that her master was in great danger, and quickly thought out a clever plan to save him. She found that one jar was really full of oil; so, filling her largest kettle44 from this, she put it on the fire to boil. When it was ready, she took the kettle into the yard, and poured enough of the boiling oil into each of the jars to kill instantly45 the man inside.
Presently she saw the robber captain creep46 down into the yard to call his men. But when he looked into the jars and saw that they were dead, he knew that his plot47 had been found out, and quickly made his escape.
Next day Morgiana told her master of all that had happened; and Ali Baba was so grateful48 that he said she should be a slave no longer. But Morgiana loved her master so well that she still stayed in his house.
It was not long before the robber captain thought out another plan for getting rid of his enemy. He set up as49 a merchant in the town, and soon made friends with Ali Baba's son, who was also a merchant. And he showered so many favors upon50 the young man that at last he was invited to Ali Baba's house.
Ali Baba prepared a grand feast51, and when it was over Morgiana came in to dance before them.
Now, Morgiana at once recognized the robber captain, in spite of his disguise, and seeing that he had a dagger52 hidden inside his robe, she knew that he meant to kill Ali Baba. But she quickly thought out a way to spoil his wicked plans53 once more.
In her last dance she held a scimitar54 high over her head, and went through all kinds of graceful55 movements with it; and just as the false guest was admiring her most, she suddenly rushed forward and plunged the weapon into his heart56.
She then pointed out the robber captain beneath his disguise; and Ali Baba was so grateful to her for having saved his life a second time that he said she should be married to his son, as a reward.
So Morgiana and the young merchant were married a few days later. And as Ali Baba now had the secret of the robber's cave to himself, he and his family were rich and happy to the end of their days.
1． Persia n．波斯（现在的伊朗）
2． haughty adj． 傲慢的
3． humble woodcutter 微不足道的伐木工
4． gallop v． 疾驰，飞奔
5． steep adj． 陡峭的， 险峻的
6． draw near 走近，临近
7． plunder n． 赃物，抢得的财物
8． to one＇s alarm 令人惊恐的是
9． sesame n． 芝麻
10． instantly adv． 立即
11． troop out 成群结队地出来
12． mount [maunt] v． 骑上马
13． captain n． 首领，头子
14． out of sight 看不到
15． well－lighted cave [keiv] 灯火通明的洞穴
16． great heaps of gold 堆积如山的金子
17． by means of 依靠，用
18． load v． 装载
19． set off 出发，动身
20． hut n． 小屋，棚屋
21． rejoice v． 欣喜，高兴
22． greedy adj． 贪婪的
23． mule n． 骡
24． 此处意为： 门自动关上了。
of one＇s own accord 自愿，主动
25． hang up 把…挂起来
26． venture v． 冒险；敢于
27． quarter v． 分成四份
28． give sth． into the charge of sb． 交给某人负责
cobbler n． 皮匠
blindfold v． 将…眼睛蒙起来
29． bid sb． (to) do sth． 命令／吩咐某人做某事 bid的过去式为bade
sew up缝合
30． belonging n． [pl．]所有物；财产
31． in the meantime 同时
32． disguise v． 伪装
33． turning n． 转弯处
34． chalk－mark 用粉笔作的记号
35． be obliged to 不得不，被迫
36． spy [spai] v． 侦察，发现
37． better off 情况好转
38． oil－jar n． 油罐 sling ．．．over sth． 将…吊置于…上
39． merchant n． 商人
40． grant sb． leave 同意，准许
41． run short of 缺少， 没有
42． go up to 走近…
43． presently adv． 一会儿， 不久
44． kettle [?謖ketl] n． 壶， 罐
45． instantly adv． 立刻，马上
46． creep v． 蹑手蹑脚地走动；潜行
47． plot n． 秘密计划；阴谋
48． grateful adj． 感激的， 感谢的
49． set (oneself) up as 以…自居
50． shower favors upon 给某人以大量恩惠
shower v． 倾注；大量给予
51． grand feast 盛宴
52． dagger n． 短剑，匕首
53． spoil v． （此处指）破坏 wicked
adj． 坏的，邪恶的
54． scimitar n． 弯刀，半月形刀
55． graceful adj． 优美的
56． 此句意为：就在这个冒牌客人为她倾倒时，她突然冲上前，将弯刀刺入他的心窝。 plunge v． 刺入，插入