52 ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.

contained oil. He did as she desired;
and seeing a man in the jar, he hastily
drew back and uttered a cry of sur-
prise. ‘Do not be afraid,” said she,
“the man you see there will not do you
any harm; he has attempted it, but he’
will never hurt either you or any one else
again, for he is now a lifeless corpse.”
‘‘Morgiana!” exclaimed Ali Baba, ‘¢ what
does all this mean? Do explain this
mystery.” ‘I will explain it,” replied
Morgiana, ‘“‘but pray be cautious, and
do not awaken the curiosity of your
neighbours to learn what it is of the
utmost importance that you should keep
secret and concealed. Look first at all
the other jars.” a iNe

Ali Baba examined all the rest of the
jars, one after the other, from the first
till he came to the last, which con-
tained the oil, and he remarked that its
oil was nearly all gone. This done,
he stood, sometimes casting his eyes_
on Morgiana, then looking at the jars,
yet without speaking a word, so great
was his surprise. | At length, as if
speech was suddenly restored to him,
he said, “‘ And what is become of the
merchant ?”

‘The merchant,” replied Morgiana,