ALL BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
One day, when all Baba was in the forest, and the just cut enough wood to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great could of dust, which seemed to be approaching. He observed it very attentively and soon distinguished a troop of horsemen coming briskly on: and though they might prove so, and without considering what would become of his asses, he resolved to save himself. He climbed a large thick tree and placed himself in the middle, from whence he could see all the passed without being seen : and this tree stood at the foot of a rock which rose very high above it and so steep that nobody could climb it.
The horsemen who were all well mounted and well armed, came to the foot of this rock and there dismounted. All Baba counted forty of them and by their looks and equipment, never doubted they were thieves, And he was not mistaken; for they were a troop of banditti who without doing any harm in the neighbourhood, robbed at a distant and made that place their rendezvous. Each man tied his horse to a brush, and hung about his neck a bag of corn which he had carried behind the saddle. The each of them took off his portmanteau which seemed to be very heavy as if it were full of silver of gold. One, who seemed to be their captain, approached the face of the rock and said in a loud voice; “Open, Sesamel” As soon as he had uttered these words, a door opened; and after he had made all his troop go in before him, he followed them and the door shut again of itself. The robbers stayed some time within the rock and All Baba, who feared that one of them might come out and catch him if he should endeavour to make his escape, was obliged to sit patiently in the tree.
At last the door opened again and the forty robbers came out. The captain had gone in last and he came out first, and stood by the entrance of the cavern to see them all pass by him: and then Ail Baba heard him take the door close by pronouncing these words. “Shut, Sesame !” Every man went and unfastened his horse and mounted again. When the captain saw them already, he put himself at their head and they returned the same way they came.
All Baba did not immediately quit his tree: “Foe,” said he to himself, “They may have forgotten some thing and come back again and then I shall be taken.” He followed them with his eyes as far as he could see them. Then he came down and, perceiving the door concealed among the bushes, he stood before it and said, “Open Sesamel” The door instantly flew wide open.
All Baba, who expected to fly a dark, dismal grotto, was very much surprised to find a well-lighted vault full of gold and silver and rich stuffs. He did not stay long to consider what he should do but went immediately into the cave and, as soon as he was, the door shut again. But this did not disturb him for knew the secret to open it again. He never looked at the silver but made the best use of his time in carrying out as much of the gold coin which was in bags, as his three asses could carry. When he had doe, he collected his asses, which had wandered away, and when he had loaded them with the bags, laid the wood on them in such a manner that they could not be seen. Then he stood before the door closed after him. It had shut itself while he was within but remained open while he was out. He then drove his asses back to town and arrived at nightfall, and got home without anyone seeing the bags of gold hidden under the faggots.