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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"

Lastly he called out, "Shut,
Sesame!" and forthwith the door closed, for the spell so wrought
that whensoever any entered the cave, its portal shut of itself behind
him, and as he issued therefrom, the same would neither open nor close
again till he had pronounced the words "Shut, Sesame!" Presently,
having laden his asses, Ali Baba urged them before him with all
speed to the city and reaching home, he drove them into the yard, and,
shutting close the outer door, took down first the sticks and fuel and
after the bags of gold, which he carried in to his wife.
She felt them, and finding them full of coin, suspected that Ali
Baba had been robbing, and fell to berating and blaming him for that
he should do so ill a thing. Quoth Ali Baba to his wife, "Indeed I
am no robber, and rather do thou rejoice with me at our good fortune."
Hereupon he told her of his adventure, and began to pour the gold from
the bags in heaps before her, and her sight was dazzled by the sheen
and her heart delighted at his recital and adventures. Then she
began counting the gold, whereat quoth Ali Baba: "O silly woman, how
long wilt thou continue turning over the coin? Now let me dig a hole
wherein to hide this treasure, that none may know its secret.


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