ABOVE ALL THINGS, TO
KEEP IT SECRET. ALI BABA WOULD NOT LET HER TAKE TIME TO COUNT IT OUT
AS SHE WISHED, BUT SAID: "I WILL DIG A HOLE AND BURY IT"]

"But let us know as nearly as may be," she said, "how much we have. I
will borrow a small measure, and measure it, while you dig a hole."

Away she ran to the wife of Cassim, who lived near by, and asked for a
measure. The sister-in-law, knowing Ali Baba's poverty, was curious to
learn what sort of grain his wife wished to measure out, and artfully
managed to put some suet in the bottom of the measure before she
handed it over. Ali Baba's wife wanted to show how careful she was in
small matters, and, after she had measured the gold, hurried back,
even while her husband was burying it, with the borrowed measure,
never noticing that a coin had stuck to its bottom.

"What," said Cassim's wife, as soon as her sister-in-law had left her,
"has Ali Baba gold in such plenty that he measures it? Whence has he
all this wealth?" And envy possessed her breast.

When Cassim came home she said to him, "Cassim, you think yourself
rich, but Ali Baba is much richer. He does not count his money; he
measures it." Then she explained to him how she had found it out, and
they looked together at the piece of money, which was so old that they
could not tell in what prince's reign it was coined.

Cassim, since marrying the rich widow, had never treated Ali Baba as a
brother, but neglected him. Now, instead of being pleased, he was
filled with a base envy. Early in the morning, after a sleepless
night, he went to him and said, "Ali Baba, you pretend to be
wretchedly poor, and yet you measure gold. My wife found this at the
bottom of the measure you borrowed yesterday."

Ali Baba saw that there was no use of trying to conceal his good
fortune, and told the whole story, offering his brother part of the
treasure to keep the secret.

"I expect as much," replied Cassim haughtily; "but I must know just
where this treasure is and how to visit myself when I choose.
Otherwise I will inform against you, and you will lose even what you
have now."

Ali Baba told him all he wished to know, even to the words he must
speak at the door of the cave.

Cassim rose before the sun the next morning, and set out for the
forest with ten mules bearing great chests which he meant to fill.
With little trouble he found the rock and the door, and, standing
before it, spoke the words, "Open, Sesame." The door opened a