英语故事:Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves(part two)阿里巴巴与四十大盗

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2021年07月27日

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Meanwhile, the robbers had again visited their cave; and finding that the body had been removed, saw that somebody knew their secret, and resolved not to rest till they found out who it was. One of them proposed to go into the town to see if he could find a clue, and the captain allowed him to do so. He fell in, by accident, with old Mustapha, who told him of how he had been hired to sew up a dead body. The robber at once felt that he was on the track of the one he was looking for, so he offered the old man a large piece of gold to show him the house where he had done the sewing. Mustapha explained that his eyes had been covered on the way, but the robber thought that if he were again blindfoldedhe might remember the turns he had made, and so find the place. They tried this plan. Mustapha walked on and at last stopped before a house which was, indeed, Ali Baba's. The robber marked the door with chalk, and returned to his comrades.

Shortly after, Morgiana came out of the house and saw the mark, and thinking it might mean mischiefto it, but the captain noticed that the next house was marked in the same way, and on looking further found five or six more. He saw that they were foiled, and ordered his men to return to the forest. When they got there, they put to death the robber who they thought had deceived them--a fate which he admitted he deserved for not taking more pains.

Another of the troop then said he would try the task. He went and engaged Mustapha to lead him as he had the first one, and when he stopped at the house, he put a mark with red chalk, in a place where he thought it would not be seen.

But it did not escape the eyes of Morgiana, and she marked the other houses in the same place and manner.

The robbers went to the town as before, but when the captain and the robber came to the street they found that they were baffled again. So all returned, and the second robber was put to death for his failure as the first had been.

Then the captain went himself, and got Mustapha to conduct him in the same way he had the others; but he did not put any mark on the house. Instead, he looked at it so carefully that he would know it when he saw it again. He then sent his men to buy nineteen mulesand thirty-eight leather oil-jars, one full of oil and the rest empty. When they had brought them to the cave, he put a man in each of the empty jars, and loaded all the jars on the mules, and set out for the town so as to reach it about dark.

He led his mules through the streets till he reached the house of Ali Baba, to whom he appliedfor lodgingand allowed him to drive his mules into his yard, where he unloaded them, and set the jars in rows, whispering to his men that when they should hear him throw a stone out of the window, they must come out of the jars, and he would join them. He then went into the house and was shown to a room.

Now it happened that Morgiana needed some oil, and as it was too late to buy any, she thought she would take a little out of the jars in the yard. So she went out with her oil-pot and drew near one of the jars to help herself, when, to her great surprise, she heard a man's voice within it say, softly, "Is it time?" Startled as she was, she did not lose her presence of mind, but answered, "Not yet, but presently." She went in this way to all of the jars, answering the same until she came, last of all, to the jar of oil.

She at once saw the danger to which her master was exposed, and laid a plan to avertit. She filled a great kettle from the jar of oil, and set it on the fire till the oil was boiling. Then she took it and poured enough into each jar to kill the robber inside. After that she went into the house; and, putting out her light, watched through a window to see what would happen.

She had not waited long before the captain, hearing no one stirring, opened his window and began throwing stones at the jars. But as no movement followed, he became alarmed and stole down into the yard, where he found that all of his men were dead. Full of rage and despair, he climbed over the wall of the yard and made his way off to the cave.

When Morgiana saw him go, she went to bed well pleased to have succeeded in saving her master and his family. The next morning she told Ali Baba of what she had done, and he and one of his servants dug a trenchin his garden in which they buried the robbers.

The captain soon laid a plot to be revenged on Ali Baba, whom he now hated worse than ever. First changing his looks as much as he could, he went to the town and rented a warehousewith which he intended to kill Ali Baba at the first chance. At the table he took no salt, for among the Persians, even the wickedest think it wrong to kill a man whose salt they have eaten. Morgiana, who was serving, noticed this, and it caused her to suspect him. On looking at him more closely, she was sure that he was the false oil merchant. She saw his purpose, and thought of a bold scheme to defeat it, and relieve her master of all further danger from him.

She was a fine dancer, and often danced before the guests of Ali Baba; so, after the meal, as Ali Baba and his son and their guest sat smoking, she came to give a performance. She carried a tambourinein one hand, and in the other a dagger, which, in dancing, she pointed playfully at the breast of each as though that were part of the dance. When she was through she went from one to another with her tambourine, according to the custom, and Ali Baba and his son each put in a piece of gold. Then she came to Cogia Hassan, and, while he was reaching his hand to put in a coin, plungedher dagger into his heart, and he fell dead.

Ali Baba cried out with horror; but when Morgiana told him who his guest was, and, opening his garment, showed him the concealed dagger; his feelings changed to joy at his escape, and admirationfor Morgiana's shrewdness, courage, and fidelity; and it seemed to him that he could not say nor do enough to thank her.

They soon disposed of the captain's body by burying him in the garden with his comrades, and as the robbers were now all dead, they were free from further danger. After awhile, Ali Baba's son married Morgiana, and they lived long in peace and happiness.