204 ALI BABA AND

need not frighten herself, for that certainly Cassim
would not think it proper to come into the town
till the night should be pretty far advanced. .

Cassim’s wife, considering how much it con-
cerned her husband to keep, the business secret,
was the more easily persuaded to believe her
brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited
patiently till midnight. Then her fear redoubled,
and her grief was the more sensible because she
was forced to keep it to herself. She repented
of her foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of
penetrating into the affairs of her brother and
sister-in-law. She spent all the night in weeping ;
and, as soon as it was day, went to them, telling
them, by her tears, the cause of her coming.

Ali Baba did not wait for his sister-in-law to
desire him to go to see what was become of
Cassim, but departed immediately with his three
asses, begging of her first to moderate her afflic-
tion. He went to the forest, and when he came
near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor
the mules in his way, was seriously alarmed at
finding some blood spilt near the door, which he
took for an ill omen; but when he had pro-
nounced the word, and the door had opened, he
was struck with horror at the dismal sight. of his
brother’s quarters. He was not long in deter-