form a better expedient, let him communicate it."

He then told them his contrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered
them to go into the villages about, and buy nineteen mules, with
thirty-eight large leather jars, one full of oil, and the others
empty.

In two or three days' time the robbers had purchased the mules and
jars, and as the mouths of the jars were rather too narrow for his
purpose, the captain caused them to be widened, and after having put
one of his men into each, with the weapons which he thought fit,
leaving open the seam which had been undone to leave them room to
breathe, he rubbed the jars on the outside with oil from the full
vessel.

Things being thus prepared, when the nineteen mules were loaded with
thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, the captain, as
their driver, set out with them, and reached the town by the dusk of
the evening, as he had intended. He led them through the streets, till
he came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he designed to have knocked; but
was prevented by his sitting there after supper to take a little fresh
air. He stopped his mules, addressed himself to him, and said, "I have
brought some oil a great way, to sell at tomorrow's market; and it is
now so late that I do not know where to lodge. If I should not be
troublesome to you, do me the favor to let me pass the night with
you, and I shall be very much obliged by your hospitality."

Though Ali Baba had seen the captain of the robbers in the forest, and
had heard him speak, it was impossible to know him in the disguise of
an oil merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately
opened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. At the same time
he called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded,
to put them into the stable, and to feed them; and then went to
Morgiana, to bid her get a good supper for his guest.

After they had finished supper, Ali Baba, charging Morgiana afresh to
take care of his guest, said to her, "To-morrow morning I design to go
to the bath before day; take care my bathing linen be ready, give them
to Abdalla (which was the slave's name), and make me some good broth
against I 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 gave his people orders what to do.
Beginning at the first jar, and so on to the last, he said to each
man: "As soon as I throw some stones out