the mules to go into the
yard, and ordered a slave to put them in a stable and feed them when
they were unloaded, and then called Morgiana to get a good supper for
his guest. After supper he charged her afresh to take good care of the
stranger, and said to her,--

"To-morrow morning I intend to go to the bath before day; take care to
have my bathing linen ready; give it to Abdalla" (which was his
slave's name), "and make me some good broth against my return." After
this he went to bed.

In the meantime the captain of the robbers went into the yard, and
took off the lid of each jar, and told his people what they must do.
To each, in turn, he said,--

"As soon as I throw some stones out of the chamber window where I lie,
do not fail to come out, and I will join you at once."

Then he went into the house, and Morgiana showed him his chamber,
where he soon put out the light, and laid himself down in his clothes.

To carry out Ali Baba's orders, Morgiana got his bathing linen ready,
and bade Abdalla to set on the pot for the broth; but soon the lamp
went out, and there was no more oil in the house, nor any candles. She
knew not what to do, till the slave reminded her of the oil jars in
the yard. She thanked him for the thought, took the oil pot, and went
out. When she came nigh the first jar, the robber within said softly,
"Is it time?"

Of course she was surprised to find a man in the jar instead of the
oil, but she saw at once that she must keep silence, as Ali Baba, his
family, and she herself were in great danger. Therefore she answered,
without showing any fear, "Not yet, but presently." In this manner she
went to all the jars and gave the same answers, till she came to the
jar of oil.

By this means Morgiana found that her master had admitted to his house
thirty-eight robbers, of whom the pretended oil merchant, their
captain, was one. She made what haste she could to fill her oil pot,
and returned to her kitchen, lighted her lamp, and taking a great
kettle went back to the oil jar and filled it. Then she set the kettle
on a large wood fire, and as soon as it boiled went and poured enough
into every jar to stifle and destroy the robber within.

When this deed, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was done without
any noise, as she had planned, she returned to the kitchen with the
empty kettle, put out the lamp, and left just enough of the fire to
make the broth. Then she sat silent, resolving not to go to rest