rning, cursing her desire to pry into the affairs of her
brother and sister in law. In the early day she went again, in tears,
to Ali Baba.

He did not wait for her to ask him to go and see what had happened to
Cassim, but set out at once for the forest with his three asses.
Finding some blood at the door of the cave, he took it for an ill
omen; but when he had spoken the words, and the door had opened, he
was struck with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's body. He
could not leave it there, and hastened within to find something to
wrap around it. Laying the body on one of his asses, he covered it
with wood. The other two asses he loaded with bags of gold, covering
them also with wood as before. Then bidding the door shut, he came
away, but stopped some time at the edge of the forest, that he might
not go into the town before night. When he reached home he left the
two asses, laden with gold, in his little yard for his wife to unload,
and led the other to his sister-in-law's house.

Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, a clever
slave, full of devices to conquer difficulties. When he came into the
court and unloaded the ass, he took Morgiana aside, and said to her,--

"You must observe a strict secrecy. Your master's body is contained in
these two panniers. We must bury him as if he had died a natural
death. Go now and tell your mistress. I leave the matter to your wit
and skillful devices."

They placed the body in Cassim's house, and, charging Morgiana to act
well her part, Ali Baba returned home with his ass.

Early the next morning, Morgiana went to a druggist, and asked for a
sort of lozenge used in the most dangerous illness. When he asked her
for whom she wanted it, she answered with a sigh, "My good master
Cassim. He can neither eat nor speak." In the evening she went to the
same druggist, and with tears in her eyes asked for an essence given
to sick persons for whose life there is little hope. "Alas!" said she,
"I am afraid even this will not save my good master."

All that day Ali Baba and his wife were seen going sadly between their
house and Cassim's, and in the evening nobody was surprised to hear
the shrieks and cries of Cassim's wife and Morgiana, who told
everybody that her master was dead.

The next morning at daybreak she went to an old cobbler, who was
always early at work, and, putting a piece of gold in his hand,
said,--

"Baba Mustapha, you must bring your se