said to Abdalla, "Take your tabor, and let us go and
divert our master and his son's friend, as we do sometimes when he is
alone."

Abdalla took his tabor, and played all the way into the hall before
Morgiana, who, when she came to the door, made a low obeisance by way
of asking leave to exhibit her skill, while Abdalla left off playing.

"Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba, "and let Cogia Houssain see what
you can do, that he may tell us what he thinks of your performance."

Cogia Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began
to fear he should not be able to take advantage of the opportunity he
thought he had found; but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure
it another time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the
father and son; therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would
have declined the dance, he pretended to be obliged to him for it, and
had the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he saw, which
pleased his host.

As soon as Abdalla saw that Ali Baba and Cogia Houssain had done
talking, he began to play on the tabor, and accompanied it with an
air, to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such
a manner as would have created admiration in any company.

After she had danced several dances with much grace, she drew the
poniard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance in which she outdid
herself by the many different figures, light movements, and the
surprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied
it. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one breast, sometimes to
another, and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At last, she
snatched the tabor from Abdalla with her left hand, and holding the
dagger in her right presented the other side of the tabor, after the
manner of those who get a livelihood by dancing, and solicit the
liberality of the spectators.

Ali Baba put a piece of gold into the tabor, as did also his son; and
Cogia Houssain, seeing that she was coming to him, had pulled his
purse out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting
his hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of
herself, plunged the poniard into his heart.

Ali Baba and his son, shocked at this action, cried out aloud.

"Unhappy woman!" exclaimed Ali Baba, "what have you done, to ruin me
and my family?"

"It was to preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for see
here," continued she, opening th