FORTY THIEVES. 29

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 the 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 w! 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 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. Assoon as she appeared at the
parlour-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 scem 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 seemed to