Alibaba and the 40 Thieves

In a faraway land, there lived a poor woodcutter named Alibaba. He and his wife struggled to survive. Every day, Alibaba took his donkey into the forest. He chopped wood and sold it in town for money. One day, he saw a group of men on horseback. They looked unfriendly, like a gang of robbers. Alibaba hid himself and his donkey behind some bushes.

The men stopped near him. Alibaba counted forty of them. They unloaded the heavy bags from their horses. He was sure they were robbers. The leader walked up to a large rock. He shouted, "Open up, sesame!" Suddenly, the rock slid open. It revealed an entrance like a gate. The robbers carried the bags inside one by one. When the last man entered, the gate closed by itself. Alibaba watched in amazement.

After a while, the rock opened again. The robbers came out. The leader turned to the gate and said, "Close, sesame!" The gate closed tightly. The robbers jumped on their horses and galloped away. Alibaba climbed down from the tree. He went to the rock and said the words he had learned: "Open, sesame!" The gate opened with a loud noise.

Alibaba cautiously went inside. He was amazed at what he saw. The cave was full of gold, jewels, and expensive fabrics. He saw many bags of treasure. He took some of the bags and left. He returned to the rock and repeated the leader's words: "Close, sesame!" He loaded the bags onto his donkey and went home.

He showed the bags to his wife. She couldn't believe her eyes. She wondered where he got them. Alibaba told her the whole story. She was excited and began to open the bags. "Look at all this money!" she exclaimed. "Let's bury these gold coins." She wanted to measure the gold, so she asked Alibaba's brother, Kasim, to give her a measuring cup.

Kasim was a rich but greedy merchant. He never helped Alibaba. Alibaba warned his wife to keep the gold a secret. Kasim wondered why they needed a measuring cup. He knew they were poor. He poured honey into the bottom of the cup. He hoped some of the gold would stick to it.

When his wife returned the cup, Kasim looked inside. He saw gold stuck to the honey. He was shocked and wondered where Alibaba found it. Kasim could not sleep that night. The next morning, he went to Alibaba's house. He showed him the gold from the cup. "I know you are poor. How did you get it?" he asked. Alibaba told him everything. He made Kasim promise to keep it a secret. Kasim threatened him. "If you don't show me the cave, I'll tell the robbers that you stole their gold!" Alibaba had no choice. He took Kasim to the cave. "Now go out," Alibaba said. "The robbers might come back." Kasim returned to the cave alone. He stood before a rock and said, "Open, sesame!" The door opened. In a faraway land, there lived a poor woodcutter named Alibaba. He and his wife struggled to survive. Every day, Alibaba took his donkey into the forest. He collected wood and sold it in town for money. One day, he saw men riding horses toward him. They looked unfriendly and like a gang of robbers. Alibaba hid himself and his donkey behind some trees. The men stopped near Alibaba's hiding place. He counted forty of them. They unloaded the heavy bags from their horses. Alibaba was sure they were robbers.

The leader went to a large rock and shouted, "Open, Sesame!" Suddenly, the rock slid open like a door, revealing an entrance. The robbers carried the bags inside, one by one. After the last man entered, the door closed by itself. Alibaba watched in amazement. After a while, the rock opened again. The robbers came out. The leader turned to the rock and said, "Close, Sesame!" The door closed quickly. The robbers jumped on their horses and rode away.

Alibaba climbed down from the tree and walked to the rock. He said the words he had memorized, "Open, Sesame!" The gate opened with a loud noise. Alibaba carefully stepped inside. He was amazed at what he saw. The cave was filled with gold, jewels, and expensive fabrics. He saw many bags of treasure. Alibaba filled some of the bags and left the cave. He turned to the rock and repeated the leader's words, "Close, Sesame!"

He loaded the bags onto the donkey and went home. He showed his wife the treasure. She couldn't believe her eyes! They decided to count the gold. His wife borrowed a measuring cup from Kasim, Alibaba's brother. She poured some wax into the bottom of the cup to weigh the gold. Kasim's wife wondered why she needed the cup. After she left, she examined the wax. She found a gold coin stuck to the cup.

Kasim told his wife about the gold coin. He rushed to Alibaba and demanded to know where it came from. Alibaba told him about the secret cave. Kasim went to the cave with some donkeys. He said, "Open, Sesame!" and the door opened. He went inside and started filling his bags with gold. He was so greedy that he forgot the magic words. When he tried to leave, he couldn't open the door. He panicked and said all sorts of wrong words.

The robbers returned to the cave. They found Kasim inside. They were angry that someone had found their hideout. The robbers killed Kasim. When Kasim didn't come home, his wife became worried. She asked Alibaba for help. Alibaba went to the cave and found Kasim's body. He knew that his brother had been killed by the robbers.

Alibaba took Kasim's body home. He and his family mourned his death. They decided to keep it a secret. Alibaba and his family moved into Kasim's house. They started a business and became successful merchants. They became richer than before. The leader of the gang The robbers found out about Kasim's death. He suspected that someone knew their secret. He sent a robber to the town to find out who had recently become rich.

The robber saw Alibaba buying things at the market. He saw him paying in gold. The robber followed Alibaba home and marked his door with chalk. That night, Kasim's maid went out and saw the mark on the door. She knew it was not a good thing. Tung Son was ordered to mark all the neighbors' doors. The next morning, 40 robbers came to find Alibaba's house. They saw that every door had the same mark. The robbers had to leave. Their leader was determined to find Alibaba. He disguised himself and searched the market. He found Alibaba's father and followed him home. The robber knocked on the door, and Alibaba answered. The robber said that he had come from far away. He had olive oil and asked Alibaba if he wanted some.

Alibaba opened the door. That night, the robber planned to kill him. He thought Thang was also a merchant. The robbers and the 40 jars of oil came to Alibaba's house. Alibaba told his servants to prepare a feast. He wanted to entertain the robber that night and the robber agreed. While they were eating, Kasim's wife looked into the jars of oil. She heard a noise. She knew that the robbers were hiding inside, not the oil. She quickly boiled the oil and poured it into each jar. The robbers were silent and endured. At midnight, the leader's sister came to the jars. She called the elders, but no one answered. She asked again, but still no one answered. She opened one jar and saw a horrifying scene. Knowing that she would be caught, she ran away and never returned. The next morning, Kasim's wife told Alibaba everything. They knew that they were safe from the robbers. Alibaba and his family lived happily.