he
cave to the city and took a shop exactly opposite to Ali Baba's house.
He furnished this shop with everything that was rare and costly, and
went by the name of the merchant Cogia Hassan. Many persons made
acquaintance with the stranger; among others, Ali Baba's son went every
day to the shop. The pretended Cogia Hassan soon appeared to be very
fond of Ali Baba's son, offered him many presents, and often detained
him at dinner, on which occasions he treated him in the handsomest
manner.

Ali Baba's son thought it was necessary to make some return to these
civilities, and pressed his father to invite Cogia Hassan to supper. Ali
Baba made no objection, and the invitation was accordingly given. The
artful Cogia Hassan would not too hastily accept this invitation, but
pretended he was not fond of going into company, and that he had
business which demanded his presence at home. These excuses only made
Ali Baba's son the more eager to take him to his father's house; and
after repeated solicitations, the merchant consented to sup at Ali
Baba's house the next evening.

A most excellent supper was provided, which Morgiana cooked in the best
manner, and as was her usual custom, she carried in the first dish
herself. The moment she looked at Cogia Hassan, she knew it was the
pretended oil-merchant. The prudent Morgiana did not say a word to any
one of this discovery, but sent the other slaves into the kitchen and
waited at table herself; and while Cogia Hassan was drinking, she
perceived he had a dagger hid under his coat.

When supper was ended, and the dessert and wine on the table, Morgiana
went away and dressed herself in the habit of a dancing-girl; she next
called Abdalla, a fellow slave, to play on his tabor while she danced.
As soon as she appeared at the parlor door, her master, who was very
fond of seeing her dance, ordered her to come in to entertain his guest
with some of her best dancing. Cogia Hassan was not very well satisfied
with this entertainment, yet was compelled, for fear of discovering
himself, to seem pleased with the dancing, while, in fact, he wished
Morgiana a great way off, and was quite alarmed lest he should lose his
opportunity of murdering Ali Baba and his son.

Morgiana danced several dances with the utmost grace and agility; and
then drawing a poniard from her girdle, she performed many surprising
things with it, sometimes presenting the point to one and sometimes to
another, and then seeme