PART II

STORIES OF ADVENTURE

Hush! Again a forest and somebody up in a tree--not Robin Hood...

but an Eastern King with a glittering scimitar and turban. It is the

setting-in of the bright Arabian Nights.

Oh, now ail common things become uncommon and enchanted to me. All

lamps are wonderful; all rings are talismans... Trees are for Ali Baba

to hide in; beefsteaks are to throw down into the Valley of Diamonds

that the precious stones may stick to them and be carried by the

eagles to their nests, whence the traders, with loud cries, will scare

them.

CHARLES DICKENS.

STORIES OF ADVENTURE

A FORWARD LOOK

When something out of the ordinary happens to you, you call it an

adventure. Perhaps you came very near getting drowned in the swimming

pool, or you found a purse with some money and some queer treasures in

it, or you met a very curious old man, or you caught a rabbit after an

exciting chase, or you went on a long journey and saw many wonderful

things. If you have had such an experience, you like to tell about it

to your friends, and if you have not, you like to hear the stories

told by people who have had some thrilling adventure of their own.

From the earliest times to the present the man who has had some

unusual experience to tell about has been a favorite. We are eager to

hear such stories; they make life seem more interesting and varied.

Nowadays we read such stories in books and magazines; we are not

dependent upon hearing them from the lips of those who have lived

lives of adventure. But centuries ago, before there were books and

newspapers, when any journey away from home, even for a few miles, was

filled with peril, the traveler who could tell of marvelous things, or

the weaver of tales who had a vivid imagination so that he could tell

about things that seemed really true, found eager hearers. Among the

French, stories about Roland, the wonderful knight who fought in the

wars of the Emperor Charlemagne, were known by every boy and girl. The

English had King Arthur, and Saint George, and Robin Hood.

Besides these legends about a national hero, there are many

collections of stories that have grown up among the common people.

One of the oldest of these collections of tales is that known as the

Arabian Nights. For hundreds of years these stories were told in the

tents of the desert or in the gay bazaars of the cities of the East.

About the time of the discovery of America they were written down and

became known as the Arabian Nights Entertainment, or the tales of a

thousand and one nights. We are told that there was once a cruel King

who planned to slay all the women in his kingdom. His wife determined

to tell him such wonderful stories that he would give up his cruel

purpose. So she told him of enchanted gardens, of caves filled with

treasure, of palaces built in a night, and of many other things. He

was so eager to hear these stories that a thousand and one nights

passed before he could escape from the spell that she laid upon him.

By this time he was so much in love with her that he withdrew his

wicked order. You may see how marvelous were these tales by reading

the stories of Aladdin, of Ali Baba, and of Sindbad the Sailor.

Perhaps when you have finished them you will not wonder that the King

found the thousand and one nights so happy that he lost his desire to

carry out his cruel purpose.

Next, you are introduced to one of the most popular of English heroes,

Robin Hood. Many old ballads and tales, older than the first American

colony, have come down to us with these stories of the famous outlaw.

The stories are very different from those of the Arabian Nights. They

have no treasure caves or magic lamps or voyages to strange countries

in them. They tell of contests in archery, for which the English were

famous; of wrestling and swimming matches; of outlaws and dwellers in

the greenwood. Because he was their champion against unjust taxation

and oppressive laws, Robin Hood was the idol of the common people.

They made up games about him, in which old and young took part.

Wandering minstrels sang about him. "Lincoln green," the color of the

clothing worn by Robin and his followers, was a favorite with all

foresters. Why Robin was so loved you may determine for yourselves by

reading the stories of Robin Hood given in the pages that follow.

In Gulliver's Travels we pass from stories like the Arabian Nights

and "Robin Hood," which grew up among the common people, to a story

composed by a single author who wrote out his material and then had it

printed in order that all might enjoy it. We do not know who wrote the

story of Ali Baba or the adventures of Robin Hood, but we know all

about Jonathan Swift, the great English writer who tells us the story

of Gulliver's adventures among the little people, or Lilliputians.

Gulliver also had wonderful experiences among a race of giants, and in

a land where the citizens were horses that were more intelligent than

men.

Somewhat different from all the other tales in this part of our book

is the story of Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe about two

hundred years ago and here condensed for your enjoyment. There was, in

Defoe's time, a sailor, Alexander Selkirk by name, who was left by his

shipmates on an island and who lived by himself for four years before

he attracted the attention of a passing ship. This suggested the idea

of Robinson Crusoe to Defoe, but he has greatly expanded the story.

Crusoe lived on his lonely island for twenty-seven years. During this

time he learned how to make tools, to build his house, to cultivate

his farm, to prepare to defend himself against an enemy's attack, and

to civilize barbarous people.

In its original form each of the stories in this group makes a

good-sized book. While some incidents and many details have been

omitted here in order to shorten and simplify the stories, the main

plot and all the most interesting incidents are given.

The world is full of stories of adventure; these are only samples of

the joyful experiences that you may have through your power to read.

And you boys and girls are more fortunate than those who lived in the

time of Aladdin, or even those who lived in the time of Robin Hood or

Robinson Crusoe, for they had no books at all, or only a few, and

if they had any, these books were poorly printed, with very ugly

illustrations, not at all like the wonderful books that you may have

at will.

But of all the stories that might have been selected, the ones placed

before you have been chosen for two reasons. First of all, they are

interesting, and are to be read for pure enjoyment. And next, these

stories leave with you certain ideas that are well worth while.

Aladdin and Ali Baba, the heroes of the Arabian Nights stories, who

became rich through their strange adventures, helped their neighbors

with their wealth. Robin Hood, too, helped the poor oppressed people

of his time, though he did many things that would be wrong today.

Robinson Crusoe's lonely life on a desert island shows us how much we

depend upon the work of those about us. And Captain Gulliver, in the

midst of his wonderful adventures, always kept in mind the ideas of

justice and honor.

So in all these stories there is a sense of justice and

responsibility. Nowadays--at least in America--men are free. Buried

treasure is as hard to find as ever, but it can be found. The man who

works hard, who seizes opportunities, who builds up a business or runs

a farm, can find his treasure. The government will protect him; we

no longer need to use the methods of Robin Hood to get justice. The

important question is whether the Ali Babas and Aladdins of our day

will feel just such responsibility to others as you find recorded in

these stories, and whether the desire to help the unfortunate is as

strong in our free America as it was in the heart of Robin Hood.

STORIES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

ALADDIN, OR THE WONDERFUL LAMP

(Ed.--This story, in it's original, uncondensed version, in addition

to many others, can be found at the web site https://www.gutenberg.org,

searching in the index for the title Arabian Nights.)

Aladdin was the son of Mustapha, a poor tailor in one of the rich

provinces of China. When the boy was old enough to learn a trade, his

father took him into his own workshop. But Aladdin, being but an idle

fellow, loved play more than work, and spent his days playing in the

public streets with other boys as idle as himself.

His father died while he was yet very young; but Aladdin still

continued his foolish ways, and his mother was forced to spin cotton

night and day in order to keep herself and her boy.

When Aladdin was about fifteen years old, he was one day playing in

the streets with some of his companions. A stranger who was going

by stopped and looked at him. This stranger was a famous African

magician, who, having need of the help of some ignorant person, no

sooner beheld Aladdin than he knew by his whole manner and appearance

that he was a person of small prudence and very fit to be made a tool

of. The magician inquired of some persons standing near, the name and

character of Aladdin, and the answers proved to him that he had judged

rightly of the boy. The stranger, pressing in among the crowd of lads,

clapped his hand on Aladdin's shoulder, and said, "My good lad, are

you not the son of Mustapha, the tailor?" "Yes, sir," said Aladdin;

"but my father has been dead this long time."

"Alas!" cried he, "what unhappy news! I am your father's brother,

child. I have been many years abroad; and now that I have come home

in the hope of seeing him, you tell me he is dead!" And all the while

tears ran down the stranger's cheeks, and his bosom heaved with sighs.

Then, pulling out a purse, he gave Aladdin two pieces of gold, saying,

"Take this, my boy, to your mother. Tell her that I will come and see

her tonight, and sup with her." Pleased with the money, Aladdin ran

home to his mother. "Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" His mother

told him he had not, whereupon Aladdin pulled out his gold and told

her that a man who said he was his father's brother was coming to sup

with her that very evening. Full of bewilderment, the good woman

set out for the market, where she bought provisions, and was busy

preparing the supper when the magician knocked at the door. He

entered, followed by a porter who brought all kinds of delicious

fruits and sweetmeats for their dessert.

As soon as they sat down to supper, he gave Aladdin's mother an

account of his travels, saying that for forty years he had been away

from home, in order to see the wonders of distant countries. Then,

turning toward Aladdin, he asked his name. "I am called Aladdin," said

he. "Well, Aladdin," said the magician, "what business do you follow?"

At this question Aladdin hung down his head, and was not a little

abashed when his mother made answer: "Aladdin is an idle fellow; his

father strove all he could to teach him his trade, but could not

succeed; and since his death, in spite of all I can say to him, he

does nothing but idle away his time in the streets, so that I despair

of his ever coming to any good." With these words the poor woman burst

into tears, and the magician, turning to Aladdin, said: "This is not

well, nephew; you must think of helping yourself and getting your

livelihood. I will help you as far as I may. What think you--shall

I take a shop and furnish it for you?" Aladdin was overjoyed at the

idea, for he thought there was very little labor in keeping a shop,

and he told his uncle this would suit him better than anything else.

"I will take you with me tomorrow," said the magician, "clothe you as

handsomely as the best merchants in the city, and then we will open a

shop."

Aladdin's mother thanked him very heartily and begged Aladdin to

behave so as to prove himself worthy of the good fortune promised by

his kind uncle.

Next day the stranger called for Aladdin as he had promised, and led

him to a merchant's, where clothes for all sorts of people were sold.

Then he caused Aladdin to try on the handsomest suits, and choosing

the one Aladdin preferred he paid the merchant for it at once. The

pretended uncle then took Aladdin to visit the bazaars, the khans

where the foreign merchants were, and the most splendid mosques, and

gave him a merry feast in the evening.

The next morning Aladdin got up and dressed himself very early, so

impatient was he to see his uncle. Presently he saw him coming, and

ran to meet him. The magician greeted him very kindly. "Come, my good

boy," he said with a smile; "I will today show you some very fine

things."

He then led him through some beautiful gardens with great houses

standing in the midst of them. Aladdin did nothing but exclaim at

their beauty, and so his uncle by degrees led him on farther and

farther into the country. "We shall now," said he to Aladdin, "go no

farther, for I shall here show you some extraordinary wonders that no

one besides yourself will ever have seen. I am now going to strike a

light, and do you, in the meantime, collect all the dry sticks and

leaves that you can find, in order to make a fire."

There were so many pieces of dry sticks scattered about this place

that Aladdin collected more than enough by the time his uncle had

struck a light. The magician then set them on fire, and as soon as

they were in a blaze he threw a certain perfume, that he had ready in

his hand, upon them. A dense smoke arose, while the magician spoke

some mysterious words. At the same instant the ground shook slightly,

and, opening in the spot where they stood, showed a square stone about

a foot and a half across, with a brass ring in the center.

Aladdin was frightened out of his wits, and was about to run away,

when the magician suddenly gave him a box on the ear so violent as to

beat him down and very nearly to knock some of his teeth out. Poor

Aladdin, with tears in his eyes and trembling in every limb, got up.

"My dear uncle," he cried, "what have I done to deserve so severe a

blow?" "I have good reasons for it," replied the magician. "Do you but

obey me, and you will not repent of it. Underneath that stone is a

great hidden treasure, which will make you richer than many kings if

you will be attentive to what I shall say to you."

Aladdin had now got the better of his fright. "Well," said he, "what

must I do? Tell me; I am ready to obey you in everything!" "Well

said!" replied the magician; "come to me, then; take hold of this

ring, and lift up the stone."

To Aladdin's surprise the stone was raised without any trouble, and

then he could see a small opening three or four feet deep, at the

bottom of which was a little door, with steps to go down still lower.

"You must now," said the magician, "go down into this cavern, and when

you have come to the bottom of the steps, you will see an open door

which leads into three great halls. In each of these you will see, on

both sides of you, four bronze vases as large as tubs, full of gold

and silver, but you must not touch any of it.

"When you get to the first hall, bind your robe around you. Then go

to the second without stopping, and thence in the same manner to the

third. Above all, be very particular not to go near the walls or even

to touch them with your robe; for if any part of your dress should

chance to touch them, your instant death will be the consequence. At

the far end of the third hall there is a door which leads to a garden

planted with beautiful trees, all of which are full of fruit. Go

straight forward, and follow a path which you will see. This will

bring you to the bottom of a flight of fifty steps, at the top of

which there is a terrace.

"There you will see a niche and in it a lighted lamp. Take the lamp

and extinguish it. Then throw out the wick and the liquid that is

within, and put the lamp in your bosom. If you should wish very much

to gather any of the fruit in the garden, you may do so; and there is

nothing to prevent your taking as much as you please."

When the magician had given these directions to Aladdin, he took off

a ring which he had on one of his fingers and put it on his pretended

nephew, telling him at the same time that it was to secure him against

every evil that might otherwise happen to him. "Go, my child," he

said; "descend boldly; we shall now both of us become immensely rich

for the rest of our lives."

ALADDIN FINDS THE WONDERFUL LAMP

Aladdin jumped willingly into the opening and went down to the bottom

of the steps. He found the three halls exactly as the magician had

said. These he passed through with the greatest care, keeping in mind

his uncle's warning. He went on to the garden, and mounted to the

terrace without stopping. There in a niche was the lamp, which he

seized, and after he had thrown out the oil which it contained, he put

it in his bosom.

This done, he returned to the garden. The trees here were all full of

the most extraordinary fruit. Never before had he seen fruits of

so many different colors. The white were pearls; the sparkling and

transparent Were diamonds; the deep red were rubies; the paler, a

particular sort of ruby called balas; the green, emeralds; the

blue, turquoises; the violet, amethysts; those tinged with yellow,

sapphires. All were of the largest size, and finer than were ever seen

before in the whole world. Aladdin was not yet of an age to know their

value, and thought they were all only pieces of colored glass.

However, the variety, brilliancy, and extraordinary size of each sort

tempted him to gather some of each; and he took so many of every color

that he filled both his pockets, as well as the two new purses the

magician had bought for him at the time he made him a present of his

new suit. Since his pockets were already full, he fastened the two

purses on each side of his girdle, and also wrapped some of the gems

in its folds, as it was of silk and made very full. In this manner

he carried his treasures so that they could not fall out. He did not

forget to fill even his bosom quite full, between his robe and his

shirt.

Laden in this manner with the most immense treasure, though ignorant

of its value, Aladdin made haste through the three halls, in order

that he might not make his uncle wait too long. Having passed through

them with the same caution as before, he began to ascend the steps

he had come down, and reached the entrance of the cave, where the

magician was impatiently waiting.

When Aladdin saw his uncle, he called to him, "Help me up!" "My dear

boy," replied the magician, "you had better first give me the lamp,

as that will only hinder you." "It is not at all in my way," said

Aladdin, "and I will give it to you when I am out." The magician still

persevered in wishing to get the lamp before he helped Aladdin out of

the cave; but the boy had so covered it with the fruit of the trees

that he absolutely refused to give it. The wicked magician was in the

greatest despair at the obstinate resistance the boy made, and fell

into the most violent rage. He then threw some perfume on the fire,

and had hardly spoken two magic words, before the stone, which served

to shut up the entrance to the cavern, returned of its own accord to

the place, with all the earth over it, exactly in the same state as it

was when the magician and Aladdin first arrived there.

When Aladdin found himself buried alive, he called aloud a thousand

times to his uncle, telling him he was ready to give him the lamp.

But all his cries were useless, and, having no other means of making

himself heard, he remained in perfect darkness.

Finally he went down to the bottom of the stairs, intending to go

toward the light in the garden, where he had been before. But the

wails, which had been opened by enchantment, were now shut by the same

means. The poor boy felt all around him several times, but could not

discover the least opening. He then redoubled his cries and tears, and

sat down upon the step of his dungeon, without the least hope of ever

seeing the light of day again.

For two days Aladdin remained in this state, without either eating

or drinking. On the third day, feeling that his death was near, he

clasped his hands in prayer and said in a loud tone of voice, "There

is no strength or power but in the great and high Heavens." In this

act of joining his hands he happened, without thinking of it, to rub

the ring which the magician had put upon his finger.

Instantly a Genius of enormous figure and horrid countenance rose out

of the earth. This Genius, who was so extremely tall that his head

touched the roof, addressed these words to Aladdin: "What do you wish?

I am ready to obey you as your slave, both I and the other slaves of

the ring." Weak and terrified, and scarcely daring to hope, Aladdin

cried, "Whoever you are, take me, if you are able, out of this place!"

No sooner had his lips formed the words than he found himself on the

outside of the cave, at the very spot where the magician had left him.

Almost unable to believe his good fortune, he arose trembling, and

seeing the city in the distance, made his way back by the same road

over which he had come. Such a long weary road he found it to his

mother's door that when he reached it he was fainting from hunger and

fatigue:

His mother, whose heart had been almost broken by his long absence,

received him joyfully and refreshed him with food. When he had

regained his strength, he told her all, and showed her the lamp and

the colored fruits and the wonderful ring on his finger. His mother

thought little of the jewels, as she was quite ignorant of their

value; so Aladdin put them all behind one of the cushions of the sofa

on which they were sitting.

Next morning when Aladdin awoke, his first thought was that he was

very hungry and would like some breakfast. "Alas, my child," said his

mother, "I have not a morsel of bread to give you. Last night you ate

all the food in the house. However, I have a little cotton of my own

spinning. I will go and sell it, and buy something for our dinner."

"Keep your cotton, mother, for another time," said Aladdin, "and give

me the lamp which I brought with me yesterday. I will go and sell

that, and the money will serve us for breakfast and dinner too;

perhaps also for supper."

Aladdin's mother took the lamp from the place where she had put it.

"Here it is," she said to her son; "but it is very dirty; if I were to

clean it a little, perhaps it might sell for something more." She then

took some water and a little fine sand with which to clean it. But she

had scarcely begun to rub the lamp, when a hideous and gigantic Genius

rose out of the ground before her, and cried with a voice as loud as

thunder, "What do you wish? I am ready to obey you as your slave, both

I and the other slaves of the lamp."

Aladdin's mother was much terrified; but Aladdin, who had seen the

Genius in the cavern, did not lose his presence of mind. Seizing the

lamp, he answered in a firm voice, "I am hungry; bring me something to

eat." The Genius disappeared, and returned a moment later with a large

silver basin, which he carried on his head. In it were twelve covered

dishes of the same material, filled with the most delicious meats, and

six loaves as white as snow upon as many plates, and in his hand he

carried two silver cups. All these the Genius placed upon the table,

and instantly vanished. When Aladdin's mother had recovered from her

fright, they both sat down to their meal, in the greatest delight

imaginable, for never before had they eaten such delicate meats or

seen such splendid dishes.

The remains of this feast provided them with food for some days, and

when it was all gone, Aladdin sold the silver dishes one by one for

their support. In this way they lived happily for several years, for

Aladdin had been sobered by his adventure, and now behaved with the

greatest wisdom and prudence. He took care to visit the principal

shops and public places, speaking only with wise and prudent persons;

and in this way he gathered much wisdom, and grew to be a courteous

and handsome youth.

ALADDIN WEDS THE PRINCESS

One day Aladdin told his mother that he intended to ask the Sultan to

give him his daughter in marriage. "Truly, my son," said his mother,

"you seem to have forgotten that your father was but a poor tailor;

and indeed I do not know who will dare to go and speak to the Sultan

about it." "You yourself must," said he, decidedly. "I!" cried his

mother, in the greatest surprise; "I go to the Sultan! Not I, indeed;

I will take care that I am not joined to such folly. You know very

well that no one can make any demand of the Sultan without bringing a

rich present, and where shall such poor folk as we find one?"

Thereupon Aladdin told his mother that while talking with the

merchants in the bazaar he had learned to know the value of their

gems, and for a long time he had known that nothing which the

merchants had in their shops was half so fine as those jewels he had

brought home from the enchanted cave. So his mother took them from

the drawer where they had been hidden and put them in a dish of fine

porcelain.

Aladdin's mother, now sure that such a gift was one that could not

fail to please the Sultan, at last agreed to do everything her son

wished. She took the porcelain dish with its precious contents and

folded it up in a very fine linen cloth. She then took another, less

fine, and tied the four corners of it together, that she might carry

it without trouble. This done, she took the road toward the palace of

the Sultan.

Trembling, she told the Sultan of her son's boldness, and begged his

mercy for Aladdin and for herself. The Sultan heard her kindly; then

before giving any answer to her request, he asked her what she had

with her so carefully tied up in a linen cloth. Aladdin's mother

unfolded the cloths and humbly laid the jewels before him.

It is impossible to express the surprise which this monarch felt when

he saw before him such a quantity of the most precious, perfect, and

brilliant jewels, the size of which was greater than any he had ever

seen before. For some moments he gazed at them, speechless. Then he

took the present from the hand of Aladdin's mother, and exclaimed, in

a transport of joy. "Ah! how very beautiful, how very wonderful they

are!"

Then turning to his grand vizier, he showed him the gems and talked

privately to him for some minutes. At last he said to Aladdin's

mother: "My good woman, I will indeed make your son happy by marrying

him to the Princess, my daughter, as soon as he shall send me forty

large basins of massive gold, quite full of the same varieties of

precious stones which you have already presented me with, brought by

an equal number of black slaves, each of whom shall be led by a white

slave, young, well-made, handsome, and richly-dressed. These are

the conditions upon which I am ready to give him the Princess, my

daughter. Go, my good woman, and I will wait till you bring me his

answer."

Full of disappointment, Aladdin's mother made her way home, and told

her son the Sultan's strange wish. But Aladdin only smiled, and when

his mother had gone out, he took the lamp and rubbed it. Instantly the

Genius appeared, and Aladdin commanded him to lose no time in bringing

the present which the Sultan had wished for. The Genius only said that

his commands should be at once obeyed, and then disappeared.

In a very short time the Genius returned with forty black slaves, each

carrying upon his head a large golden basin of great weight, full of

pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, quite as fine as the jewels

that Aladdin's mother had given the Sultan. Each basin was covered

with a cloth of silver, embroidered with flowers of gold. There were

also forty white slaves, as Aladdin had commanded. All these slaves

with their golden basins entirely filled the house, which was but

small, as well as the court in front and the garden behind it.

Aladdin's mother now came back and almost fainted when she saw this

great crowd and all its magnificence. Aladdin desired her at once to

follow the procession of slaves to the palace, and present to the

Sultan the dowry of the Princess.

The astonishment of the Sultan at the sight of all these riches is

hardly to be imagined. After gazing upon the slaves with their shining

heaps of jewels, he said to Aladdin's mother, "Go, my good woman, and

tell your son that I am waiting with open arms to embrace him!"

Aladdin was so delighted with this news that he could hardly answer

his mother, and, hastening to his chamber, he shut the door. Once more

he summoned the Genius, who brought to him garments that shone like

the sun. The Genius also brought him a splendid charger and twenty

slaves to march on either side of him on the way to the Sultan's

palace, all holding purses of gold to scatter among the people.

If there had been a crowd before, there was ten times as great a one

now to watch Aladdin as he rode to the Sultan's palace, and to pick

up the gold pieces which were showered by his slaves as he went. The

Sultan came down from his throne to greet him, and all was feasting

and joy in the palace.

After the feast the judge drew up a contract of marriage between

Aladdin and the beautiful Princess. As soon as this was done, the

Sultan asked Aladdin if he wished to remain in the palace and complete

all the ceremonies that day. "Sire," he replied, "however impatient I

may be to have entire possession of all your majesty's bounties, I beg

you to permit me to wait until I shall have built a palace to receive

the Princess in, that shall be worthy of her; and for this purpose I

request that you will have the goodness to point out a suitable place

for it near your own, that I may always be ready to pay my court to

your majesty. I will then neglect nothing to get it finished with all

possible diligence."

"My son," answered the Sultan, "take the open space before my palace;

but remember that, to have my happiness complete, I cannot see you

united too soon to my daughter." Having said this, he again embraced

Aladdin, who now took leave of the Sultan as if he had been brought up

and had spent all his life at court.

As soon as Aladdin reached home, he again summoned the Genius and

commanded him to build instantly the most gorgeous palace ever seen,

on the spot of ground given by the Sultan. Early the next morning the

Genius appeared. "Sir," said he, "your palace is finished; see if it

is as you wish."

Words cannot paint the astonishment of the Sultan and all his

household at seeing this gorgeous palace shining in the place which

only the day before had been empty and bare. The Princess, too,

rejoiced much at the sight. Her marriage with Aladdin was held the

same day, and their happiness was the greatest that heart could wish.

ALADDIN LOSES AND REGAINS THE LAMP

For some months they lived thus, Aladdin showing great kindness to

the poor, and pleasing all by his generosity. About this time his old

enemy, the African magician, found out by some of his magic arts that

Aladdin was alive and enormously rich, instead of being, as he had

supposed, dead in the enchanted cave. He was filled with rage, and,

vowing to destroy Aladdin, he immediately set out for China. There he

learned that Aladdin had gone hunting, and was not expected home for

three or four days.

The magician bought a dozen shining new lamps, put them in a basket,

and set out for Aladdin's palace. As he came near it he cried, "Who

will change old lamps for new?"

When he came under the Princess's windows, one of her slaves said,

"Come, let us see if the old fool means what he says; there is an ugly

old lamp lying on the cornice of the hall of four-and-twenty windows;

we will put a new one in its place, if the old fellow is really in

earnest." The Princess having given permission, one of the slaves took

the lamp to the magician, who willingly gave her the best he had among

his new ones.

As soon as night arrived, the magician summoned the Genius of the lamp

and commanded him to transport him, the palace, and the Princess to

the remotest corner of Africa.

The confusion and grief of the Sultan were terrible when he found the

palace vanished and his daughter lost. The people ran in fear through

the streets, and the soldiers were sent in search of Aladdin, who had

not yet returned.

Aladdin was soon found and dragged before the Sultan like a criminal.

He would have been beheaded had not the Sultan been afraid to enrage

the people. "Go, wretch!" cried the Sultan; "I grant thee thy life;

but if ever thou appearest before me again, death shall overtake thee,

unless in forty days thou bringest me tidings of my daughter."

Aladdin, wretched and downfallen, left the palace, not knowing whither

to turn his steps. At length he stopped at a brook to bathe his eyes,

which smarted with the tears he had shed. As he stooped, his foot

slipped, and, catching hold of a piece of rock to save himself from

falling, he pressed the magician's ring, which he still wore on his

finger, and the Genius of the ring appeared before him, saying "What

would you have?" "Oh; Genius," cried Aladdin, "bring my palace back

without delay."

"What you command," replied the Genius, "is not in my power; you must

call the Genius of the lamp."

"Then I command you," said Aladdin, "to transport me to the place

where now it stands." Instantly Aladdin found himself beside his own

palace, which stood in a meadow not far from a strange city; and the

Princess was then walking in her own chamber, weeping for her loss.

Happening to come near to the window, she saw Aladdin under it. And

making a sign to him to keep silence, she sent a slave to bring him

in. The Princess and her husband having kissed each other and shed

many tears, Aladdin said, "Tell me, my Princess, what has become of an

old lamp which I left on the cornice of the hall of four-and-twenty

windows?"

The Princess then told how her slave had exchanged it for a new one,

and said that the tyrant in whose power she was, always carried that

very lamp in his bosom. Aladdin was then sure that this person was no

other than his old enemy, the African magician.

After talking a long while, they hit upon a plan for getting back

the lamp. Aladdin went into the city in the disguise of a slave, and

bought a powder. Then the Princess invited the magician to sup with

her. As she had never before shown him the least kindness, he was

delighted and came. While they were at table, she ordered a slave to

bring two cups of wine, one of which she had prepared by mixing in the

powder. After pretending to taste the one she held in her hand, she

asked the magician to change cups, as was the custom in China. He

joyfully seized the goblet, and drinking it all at a draft, fell

senseless on the floor.

Aladdin was at hand to snatch the lamp from his bosom. Hastily rubbing

it, he summoned the Genius, who instantly transported the palace and

all it contained back to the place whence they had come.

Some hours after, the Sultan, who had risen at break of day to mourn

for his daughter, went to the window to look at the spot which he

expected to see empty and vacant, and there to his unspeakable joy he

saw Aladdin's palace shining in its place. He summoned his guards and

hastened to embrace his daughter; and during a whole week nothing was

heard but the sound of drums, trumpets, and cymbals, and there were

all kinds of music and feasting, in honor of Aladdin's return with the

Princess.

Some time after this, the Sultan died, and Aladdin and the Princess

ascended the throne. They reigned together many years and left many

noble sons and daughters at their death.

Suggestions for Silent Reading

Some stories and poems must be read thoughtfully in order to gain the

author's full meaning; such reading cannot be done rapidly. In other

selections, the meaning can be grasped easily, and the reading can be

rapid; in such cases we read mainly for the story, holding in mind the

various incidents as the plot unfolds. Throughout this book certain

stories, particularly those of Part II, may well be read silently and

reported on in class: The following suggestions will help you to gain

power in silent reading:

(a) Time yourself by the clock as you read each story suggested for

silent reading; what was your reading speed per page? (b) Test your

ability to get the thought quickly from the printed page (1) by noting

how many of the questions that develop the main thoughts, under

Discussion, you can answer after one reading, and (2) by telling the

substance of the story from an outline. Sometimes this guiding outline

is prepared for you, as in question 19, below; sometimes you are asked

to prepare it. This outline may also be used at the close of the

lesson as a guide in retelling the story. You may have to read parts

of the story again to be able to answer all these questions and to

give the substance of the story fully. Notice that the rapid silent

readers in your class generally gain and retain more facts than

the slow readers do. Try steadily to increase your speed in silent

reading.

To supplement and give balance to the lessons in silent reading,

certain passages notable for their beauty, their force, or their

dramatic quality, are listed, under Class readings, to be read aloud.

NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Discussion. 1. What kind of boy was Aladdin? What caused the magician

to notice him? 3. What did the magician do to make Aladdin and his

mother like him? 4. How did he force Aladdin to obey him? 5. What

did Aladdin see when he raised the stone? 6. What directions did the

magician give Aladdin before he descended the steps? 7. Explain the

magician's anxiety to get the lamp before he helped Aladdin up from

the cavern. 8. How was Aladdin rescued from the cavern? 9. How did he

discover the power of his lamp? 10. What effect did his good fortune

have upon him? 11. What use did Aladdin make of the fruit he had

gathered? 12. How did Aladdin persuade his mother to see the Sultan?

13. Why did the Sultan permit Aladdin to marry his daughter? 14. How

and where was Aladdin's palace built? 15. Where had Aladdin left the

lamp when he went on his hunting trip? 16. How did the magician gain

possession of it? 17. How did Aladdin regain the lamp? 18. Class

readings: Page 156, line 9, to page 160, line 4 (5 pupils). 19.

Outline for testing silent reading. Tell in your own words the story

of Aladdin, using the following topics: (a) the boyhood of Aladdin;

(b) Aladdin's pretended uncle; (c) the visit to the cave; (d)

Aladdin's return to his mother; (e) Aladdin and the Princess. 20. Find

in the Glossary the meaning of: province; prudence; bewilderment;

abashed; extinguish; transparent; enchantment; dungeon; Genius;

Sultan; magnificence; bounties; cornice; transport. 21. Pronounce:

dessert; nephew; niche; fatigue; hideous; imaginable; porcelain;

vizier; gorgeous.

ALI BABA AND THE OPEN SESAME

(Ed.--This story, in it's original, uncondensed version, in addition

to many others, can be found at the web site https://www.gutenberg.org,

searching in the index for the title Arabian Nights.)

In an old town of Persia there lived two brothers, Cassim and Ali

Baba.

Cassim married a wife who owned a fine shop, a warehouse, and some

land; he thus found himself quite at his ease, and soon became one of

the richest men in the town. Ali Baba, on the other hand, had a

wife no better off than himself, and lived in a very poor house. He

supported his family by cutting wood in the forest, and carrying it on

his asses to sell about the town.

One day Ali Baba went to the forest, and had very nearly finished

cutting as much wood as his asses could carry, when he saw high in the

air a thick cloud of dust, which seemed to be coming toward him.

He gazed at it for a long time, until he saw a company of men on

horseback, riding so fast that they were almost hidden by the dust.

Although that part of the country was not often troubled by robbers,

Ali Baba thought that these horsemen looked like evil men. Therefore,

without thinking at all what might become of his asses, his first and

only care was to save himself. So he climbed up quickly into a large

tree, the branches of which spread out so close and thick that from

the midst of them he could see everything that passed, without being

seen.

The robbers rode swiftly up to this very tree, and there alighted. Ali

Baba counted forty of them, and saw that each horseman took the bridle

off his horse and hung over its head a bag filled with barley. Then

they took their traveling bags, which were so heavy that Ali Baba

thought they must be filled with gold and silver.

With his bag on his shoulder, the Captain of the thieves came close to

the rock, at the very spot where the tree grew in which Ali Baba had

hidden himself. After the rascal had made his way through the shrubs

that grew there, he cried out, "Open Sesame!" so that Ali Baba

distinctly heard the words. No sooner were they spoken than a door

opened in the rock. The Captain and all his men passed quickly in, and

the door closed again.

There they stayed for a long time. Ali Baba was compelled to wait in

the tree with patience, as he was afraid some of them might come out

if he left his hiding-place. At length the door opened, and the forty

thieves came out. After he had seen all the troop pass out before him,

the Captain exclaimed, "Shut Sesame!" Each man then bridled his horse,

and mounted. When the Captain saw that all were ready, he put himself

at their head, and they rode off as they had come.

Ali Baba did not come down from the tree at once, because he thought

they might have forgotten something, and be obliged to come back, and

that he should thus be caught. He watched them as long as he could;

nor did he leave the tree for a long time after he had lost sight of

them. Then, recalling the words the Captain had used to open and shut

the door, he made his way through the bushes to it, and called out,

"Open Sesame!" Instantly the door flew wide open!

Ali Baba expected to find only a dark cave, and was very much

astonished at seeing a fine large chamber, dug out of the rock, and

higher than a man could reach. It received its light from a hole in

the top of the rock. In it were piled all sorts of rare fruits, bales

of rich merchandise, silk stuffs and brocades, and great heaps of

money, both silver and gold, some loose, some in large leather bags.

The sight of alt these things almost took Ali Baba's breath away.

But he did not hesitate long as to what he should do. He went boldly

into the cave, and as soon as he was there, the door shut; but since

he knew the secret by which to open it, this gave him no fear. Leaving

the silver, he turned to the gold which was in the bags, and when he

had gathered enough for loading his three asses, he brought them to

the rock, loaded them, and so covered the sacks of gold over with wood

that no one could suspect anything. This done, he went to the door,

and had no sooner said the words, "Shut Sesame," than it closed.

And now Ali Baba took the road to the town; and when he got home, he

drove his asses into the yard and shut the gate with great care. He

threw off the wood that hid the gold and carried the bags into the

house, where he laid them down in a row before his wife, who was

sitting upon a couch.

When he had told the whole story of the cave and the forty thieves, he

emptied the sacks, making one great heap of gold that quite dazzled

his wife's eyes. His wife began to rejoice in this good fortune, and

was going to count over the money that lay before her, piece by piece.

"What are you going to do?" said he. "Why, you would never finish

counting them. I will dig a pit to bury it in; we have no time to

lose."

"It is right, though," replied the wife, "that we should know about

how much there may be. I will go and borrow a small grain-measure, and

while you are digging the pit, I will find how much there is."

So the wife of Ali Baba set off and went to her brother-in-law,

Cassim, who lived a short way from her house. Cassim was away from

home, so she begged his wife to lend her a measure for a few minutes.

"That I will with pleasure," said Cassim's wife. She went to seek a

measure, but knowing how poor Ali Baba was, she was curious to know

what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure; so she put some tallow

on the bottom of the measure in such a way that no one would notice

it.

The wife of Ali Baba returned home, and placing the measure on the

heap of gold, filled it over and over again, till she had measured the

whole. Ali Baba by this time had dug the pit for it, and while he

was burying the gold, his wife went back with the measure to her

sister-in-law, but without noticing that a piece of gold had stuck to

the bottom of it.

The wife of Ali Baba had scarcely turned her back, when Cassim's wife

looked at the bottom of the measure, and was astonished to see a piece

of gold sticking to it. "What!" said she, "Ali Baba measures his gold!

Where can the wretch have got it?" When her husband Cassim came home,

she said to him, "Cassim, you think you are rich, but Ali Baba must

have far more wealth than you; he does not count his gold as you do;

he measures it." Then she showed him the piece of money she had found

sticking to the bottom of the measure--a coin so ancient that the name

of the prince engraved on it was unknown to her.

Far from feeling glad at the good fortune which his brother had met

with, Cassim grew so jealous of Ali Baba that he passed almost the

whole night without closing his eyes. The next morning before sunrise

he went to him. "Ali Baba," said he, harshly, "you pretend to be poor

and miserable and a beggar, and yet you measure your money"--here

Cassim showed him the piece Of gold his wife had given him. "How many

pieces," added he, "have you like this, that my wife found sticking to

the bottom of the measure yesterday?"

CASSIM VISITS THE CAVE

From this speech Ali Baba knew that Cassim, and his wife also, must

suspect what had happened. So, without showing the least sign of

surprise, he told Cassim by what chance he had found the retreat'

of the thieves, and where it was; and offered, if he would keep the

secret, to share the treasure with him.

"This I certainly expect," replied Cassim in a haughty tone;

"otherwise I will inform the police of it." Ali Baba, led rather by

his good nature than by fear, told him all, even to the words he must

pronounce, both on entering the cave and on quitting it. Cassim made

no further inquiries of Ali Baba; he left him, determined to seize the

whole treasure, and set off the next morning before break of day with

ten mules laden with large hampers which he proposed to fill. He took

the road which Ali Baba had pointed out, and arrived at the rock and

the tree; on looking for the door, he soon discovered it. When he

cried, "Open Sesame!" the door obeyed; he entered, and it closed

again.

Greedy as Cassim was, he could have passed the whole day in feasting

his eyes with the sight of so much gold; but he remembered that he had

come to take away as much as he could; he therefore filled his sacks,

and coming to the door, he found that he had forgotten the secret

words, and instead of saying, "Open Sesame" he said, "Open Barley." So

the door, instead of flying open, remained closed. He named various

other kinds of grain; all but the right one were called upon, and

still the door did not move.

The thieves returned to their cave toward noon; and when they were

within a short distance of it, and saw the mules belonging to Cassim

laden with hampers, standing about the rock, they were a good deal

surprised. They drove away the ten mules, which took to flight in

the forest. Then the Captain and his men, with their sabers in their

hands, went toward the door and said, "Open Sesame!" At once it flew

open.

Cassim, who from the inside of the cave heard the horses trampling

on the ground, did not doubt that the thieves had come, and that his

death was near. Resolved, however, on one effort to escape and reach

some place of safety, he placed himself near the door ready to run out

as soon as it should open. The word "Sesame" was scarcely pronounced

when it opened, and he rushed out with such violence that he threw

the Captain to the ground. He could not, however, escape the other

thieves, who slew him on the spot.

On entering the cave the thieves found, near the door, the sacks which

Cassim had filled, but they could not imagine how he had been able to

get in.

The wife of Cassim, in the meantime, was in the greatest uneasiness

when night came and her husband did not return. After waiting as long

as she could, she went in the utmost alarm to Ali Baba, and said to

him, "Brother, I believe you know that Cassim has gone to the forest;

he has not yet come back, although it is almost morning. I fear some

accident may have befallen him."

Ali Baba did not wait for entreaties to go and seek for Cassim. He

immediately set off with his three asses, and went to the forest. As

he drew near the rock, he was astonished to see that blood had been

shed near the cave. When he reached the door, he said, "Open Sesame!"

and it opened.

He was shocked to see his brother's body in the cave. He decided to

carry it home, and placed it on one of his asses, covering it with

sticks to conceal it. The other two asses he quickly loaded with sacks

of gold, putting wood over them as before. Then, commanding the door

to close, he took the road to the city, waiting in the forest till

nightfall, that he might return without being observed. When he got

home, he left the two asses that were laden with gold for his wife to

unload; and having told her what had happened, he led the other ass to

his sister-in-law's. Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened

to him by Morgiana, who was a female slave, clever, and full of

invention. "Morgiana," said he, "the first thing I have to ask you is

to keep a deep secret! This packet contains the body of your master,

and we must bury him as if he had died a natural death. Let me speak

to your mistress, and hearken what I say to her."

Morgiana went to call her mistress, and Ali Baba then told her

all that had happened before his arrival with the body of Cassim.

"Sister," added he, "here is a sad affliction for you, but we must

contrive to bury my brother as if he had died a natural death; and

then we shall be glad to offer you a shelter under our own roof."

The widow of Cassim reflected that she could not do better than

consent. She therefore wiped away her tears, and suppressed her

mournful cries, and thereby showed Ali Baba that she accepted his

offer.

Ali Baba left her in this frame of mind, and Morgiana went out with

him to an apothecary's there. She knocked at the shop door, and when

it was opened, asked for a particular kind of lozenge of great effect

in dangerous illness. The apothecary gave her the lozenge, asking who

was ill in her master's family. "Ah!" exclaimed she with a deep sigh,

"it is my worthy master, Cassim himself. He can neither speak nor

eat!"

Meanwhile, as Ali Baba and his wife were seen going backwards and

forwards to the house of Cassim, in the course of the day, no one was

surprised on hearing in the evening the piercing cries of his widow

and Morgiana, which announced his death.

And so the body of Cassim was prepared for its burial, which took

place the next day, attended by Ali Baba and Morgiana.

As for his widow, she remained at home to lament and weep with her

neighbors, who, according to the usual custom, repaired to her house

during the ceremony of the burial, and joining their cries to hers,

filled the air with sounds of woe. Thus the manner of Cassim's death

was so well hidden that no one in the city knew anything about it.

THE ROBBERS SEEK REVENGE ON ALI BABA

But let us now leave Ali Baba and Morgiana, and return to the forty

thieves. When they came back to their cave, they found the body of

Cassim gone, and with it much of their treasure. "We are discovered,"

said the Captain, "and we shall be lost if we are not very careful.

All that we can at present tell is that the man whom we killed in the

Cave knew the secret of opening the door. But he was not the only one;

another must have found it out too. Having slain one, we must not let

the other escape. Well, the first thing to be done is that one of you

should go to the city in the dress of a traveler, and try to learn who

the man we killed was."

The thief who agreed to carry out this plan, having disguised himself

so that no one could have told who he was, set off at night, and

entered the city just at dawn. By asking questions in the town he

discovered that a body had been prepared for burial at a certain

house. Having found the house, the thief marked the door with chalk

and returned to the forest.

Very soon after this, Morgiana had occasion to go out, and saw the

mark which the thief had made on the door of Ali Baba's house. "What

can this mark mean?" thought she; "has anyone a spite against my

master, or has it been done only for fun? In any ease, it will be well

to guard against the worst that may happen." She therefore took some

chalk, and as several of the doors, both above and below her master's,

were alike, she marked them in the same manner, and then went in

without saying anything of what she had done either to her master or

mistress.

The thief in the meantime arrived at the forest, and related the

success of his journey. They all listened to him with great delight,

and the Captain, after praising him, said, "Comrades, we have no time

to lose; let us arm ourselves and depart, and when we have entered the

city, which we had best do separately, let us all meet in the great

square, and I will go and find out the house with the chalk mark."

Thus the thieves 'went in small parties of two or three to the city

without causing any suspicion. The thief who had been there in the

morning then led the Captain to the street in which he had marked the

house of Ali Baba.

When they reached the first house that had been marked by Morgiana, he

pointed it out, saying that was the one. But as they continued walking

on, the Captain saw that the next door was marked in the same manner.

At this the thief was quite confused, and knew not what to say; for

they found four or five doors more with the same mark.

The Captain, who was in great anger, returned to the square, and told

the first of his men whom he met to tell the rest that they had lost

their labor, and that nothing remained but to return to the forest.

When they had reached the forest, the Captain declared the mistaken

thief deserving of death, and he was at once killed by his companions.

Next day another thief, in spite of this, determined to succeed where

the other had failed. He went to the city, found the house, and marked

the door of it with red. But, a short time after. Morgiana; vent out

and saw the red mark and did not fail to make a similar red mark on

the neighboring doors.

The thief when he returned to the forest boasted of his success, and

the Captain and the rest repaired to the city with as much care as

before, and the Captain and his guide went immediately to the street

where Ali Baba resided; but the same thing occurred as before.

Thus they were obliged to return again to the forest disappointed. The

second thief was put to death as a punishment for deceiving them.

Next time the Captain himself went to the city, and found the house of

Ali Baba. But not choosing to amuse himself by making marks on it, he

examined it so well, not only by looking at it. But by passing before

it several times, that at last he was certain he could not mistake it.

Thereupon he returned to the forest, and told the thieves he had

made sure of the house, and had made a plan such that at last he was

certain he could not mistake it. And first he ordered them to divide

into small parties, and go into the neighboring towns and villages and

buy nineteen mules and thirty-eight large leather jars to carry oil,

one of which must be full, and all the others empty.

In the course of two or three days the thieves returned, and the

Captain made one of his men enter each jar, armed as he thought

necessary. Then he closed the jars as if each were full of oil,

leaving, however, a small slit open to admit air.

Things being thus disposed, the mules were laden with the thirty-seven

thieves, each concealed in a jar, and the jar that was filled with

oil; whereupon the Captain took the road to the city at the hour that

had been agreed, and arrived about an hour after sunset. He went

straight to the house of Ali Baba, where he found Ali Baba at the

door, enjoying the fresh air after supper. "Sir," said he, "I have

brought oil from a great distance to sell tomorrow at the market, and

I do not know where to go to pass the night; if it would not occasion

you much trouble, do me the favor to take me in."

Although Ali Baba had seen, in the forest, the man who now spoke to

him and had even heard his voice, yet he had no idea that this was the

Captain of the forty robbers, disguised as an oil merchant. "You are

welcome," said he, and took him into the house, and his mules into the

stable.

THE OIL MERCHANT IN THE HOME OF ALI BABA

Ali Baba, having told Morgiana to see that his guest wanted nothing,

added, "Tomorrow before daybreak I shall go to the bath. Make me some

good broth to take when I return." After giving these orders, he went

to bed. In the meantime the Captain of the thieves, on leaving the

stable, went to give his people orders what to do. Beginning with the

first jar, and going through the whole number, he said to each, "When

I shall throw some pebbles from my chamber, do not fail to rip open

the jar from top to bottom with the knife you have, and to come out; I

shall be with you soon after." The knives he spoke of were sharpened

for the purpose. This done, he returned, and Morgiana took a light,

and led him to his chamber. Not to cause any suspicion, he put out the

light and lay down in his clothes, to be ready to rise as soon as he

had taken his first sleep.

Morgiana did not forget Ali Baba's orders; she prepared his linen for

the bath and gave it to Abdalla, Ali Baba's slave, who had not yet

gone to bed. Then she put the pot on the fire to make the broth, but

while she was skimming it. The lamp went out. There was no more oil

in the house, and she had no candle. She did not know what to do. She

wanted a light to see to skim the pot, and mentioned it to Abdalla.

"Take some oil," said he, "out of one of the jars in the court."

Morgiana accordingly took the oil-can and went into the court. As she

drew near the first jar, the thief who was concealed within said in a

low voice, "Is it time?"

Any other slave except Morgiana, in the first moment of surprise at

finding a man in the jar instead of some oil, would have made a great

uproar. But Morgiana collected her thoughts, and without showing any

emotion assumed the voice of the Captain, and answered, "Not yet,

but presently." She approached the next jar, and the others in turn,

making the same answer to the same question, till she came to the

last, which was full of oil.

Morgiana by this means discovered that her master, who supposed he was

giving a night's lodging to an oil merchant only, had afforded shelter

to thirty-eight robbers, including the pretended merchant, their

Captain. She quickly filled her oil-can from the last jar, and

returned to the kitchen; and after having put some oil in her lamp and

lighted it, she took a large kettle, and went again into the court to

fill it with oil from the jar. This done, she brought it back again,

put it over the tire, and made a great blaze under it with a quantity

of wood; for the sooner the oil boiled, the sooner her plan would be

carried out. At length the oil boiled. She then took the kettle and

poured into each jar, from the first to the last, enough boiling oil

to kill the robbers.

This being done without any noise, she returned to the kitchen with

the empty kettle, and shut the door. She put out the large fire she

had made up for this purpose, and left only enough to finish boiling

the broth for Ali Baba. She then blew out the lamp and remained

perfectly silent, determined not to go to bed until she had watched

what would happen, from a window which overlooked the court.

Morgiana had waited scarcely a quarter of an hour, when the Captain of

the robbers awoke. He got up, and opening the window, looked out. All

was dark and silent; he gave the signal by throwing the pebbles, many

of which fell on the jars, as the sound plainly proved. He listened,

but heard nothing that could lead him to suppose his men obeyed the

summons. He became uneasy at this delay, and threw some pebbles down a

second time, and even a third. They all struck the jars, yet nothing

moved, and he became frightened.

He went down into the court in the utmost alarm; and going up to the

first jar, he was going to ask if the robber contained in it was

asleep. As soon as he drew near, he smelled a strong scent of hot and

burning oil coming out of the jar. From this he feared that his wicked

plan had failed. He went to the next jar, and to each in turn, and

discovered that all his men were dead. Terrified at this, he jumped

over the garden-gate, and going from one garden to another by getting

over the walls, he made his escape. Before daybreak Ali Baba, followed

by his slave, went out and repaired to the bath, totally ignorant of

the surprising events that had taken place in his house during his

sleep. Morgiana had not thought it necessary to wake him, particularly

as she had no time to lose, while she was engaged in her perilous

enterprise, and it was useless to disturb him after she had averted

the danger.

When he returned from the bath, the sun being risen, Ali Baba was

surprised to see the jars of oil still in their places; he inquired

the reason of Morgiana, who let him in, and who had left everything as

it was, in order to show it to him.

"My good master," said Morgiana to Ali Baba's question, "may God

preserve you and all your family. You will soon know the reason,

if you will take the trouble to come with me." Ali Baba followed

Morgiana, and when she had shut the door, she took him to the first

jar and bade him look in and see if it contained oil. He did as she

desired; and seeing a man in the jar, he hastily drew back and uttered

a cry of surprise. "Do not be afraid," said she; "the man you see

there will not do you any harm; he will never hurt either you or

anyone else again, for he is now a corpse."

"Morgiana!" exclaimed Ali Baba, "what does all this mean? You explain

this mystery." "I will explain it," replied Morgiana, "but pray be

cautious, and do not awaken the curiosity of your neighbors to learn

what it is of the utmost importance that you should keep secret and

concealed. Look first at all the other jars."

Ali Baba examined all the rest of the jars, one after the other, from

the first till he came to the last, which contained the oil, and

he noticed 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 he said,

"And what has become of the merchant?"

"The merchant," replied Morgiana, "is just as much a merchant as I am.

I can tell you who he is."

She then described the marks made upon the door, and the way in which

she had copied them, adding: "You see this is a plot contrived by

the thieves of the forest, whose troop, I know not how, seems to be

diminished by two. But be that as it may, it is now reduced to three

at most. This proves that they are determined on your death, and you

will do right to be on your guard against them, so long as you are

certain that even one of the robbers remains."

Ali Baba, full of gratitude for all he owed her, replied, "I will

reward you as you deserve, before I die. I owe my life to you, and

from this moment I give you your liberty, and wilt soon do still more

for you."

MORGIANA'S GREAT COURAGE AND REWARD

Meanwhile the Captain of the forty thieves had returned to the forest

full of rage, and determined to revenge himself on Ali Baba.

Next morning he awoke at an early hour, put on a merchant's dress,

and returned to the city, where he took a lodging in a khan. Then he

bought a horse, which he made use of to convey to his lodging several

kinds of rich stuffs and fine linens, bringing them from the forest at

various times. In order to dispose of these wares, he took a shop,

and established himself in it. This shop was exactly opposite to that

which had been Cassim's, and was now occupied by the son of Ali Baba.

The Captain of the thieves, who had taken the name of Cogia Houssam,

soon succeeded in making friends with the son of Ali Baba, who was

young and good-natured. He often invited the youth to sup with him,

and made him rich gifts.

When Ali Baba heard of it, he resolved to make a return for this

kindness, to Cogia Houssam, little thinking that the pretended

merchant was really the Captain of the thieves. So one day he asked

Cogia Houssam to do him the honor of supping and spending the evening

at his house. "Sir," replied Cogia, "I am grateful for your kindness,

but I must beg you to excuse me, and for a reason which I am sure you

will think sufficient. It is this: I never eat of any dish that has

salt in it; judge, then, of the figure I should make at your table."

"If this be your only reason," replied Ali Baba, "it need not prevent

your coming to supper with me. The bread which is eaten in my house

does not contain any salt; and as for the meat and other dishes, I

promise you there shall be none in those which are served before you."

So Ali Baba went into the kitchen, and desired Morgiana not to put

any salt in the meat she was going to serve for supper, and also to

prepare two or three dishes of those that he had ordered, without any

salt. Morgiana obeyed, though much against her will; and she felt some

curiosity to see this man who did not eat salt. When she had finished,

and Abdalla had prepared the table, she helped him in carrying the

dishes. On looking at Cogia Houssam, she instantly recognized the

Captain of the robbers, in spite of his disguise; and looking at him

more closely, she saw that he had a dagger hidden under his dress. "I

am no longer surprised," said she to herself, "that this villain will

not eat salt with my master; he is his enemy, and means to murder him!

But I wilt prevent the villain!"

When the supper was ended, the Captain of the thieves thought that the

time for revenging himself on Ali Baba had come. "I will make them

both drink much wine," thought he, "and then the son, against whom I

bear no malice, will not prevent my plunging my dagger into the heart

of his father, and I shall escape by way of the garden, as I did

before, while the cook and the slave are at their supper in the

kitchen."

Instead, however, of going to supper, Morgiana did not allow him time

to carry out his wicked plans. She dressed herself as a dancer, put

on a headdress suitable to that character, and wore round her waist a

fancy girdle of gilt, to which she fastened a dagger, made of the same

metal. Her face was hidden by a very handsome mask. When she had so

disguised herself, she said to Abdalla, "Take your tabor, and let us

go and entertain our master's guest, who is the friend of his son, as

we do sometimes by our performances."

Abdalla took his tabor and began to play, as he walked before

Morgiana, and entered the room. Morgiana followed him, making a low

curtsy, and performed several dances, with equal grace and agility. At

length she drew out the dagger, and dancing with it in her hand, she

surpassed all she had yet done, by her light movements and high leaps;

sometimes presenting the dagger as if to strike, and at others holding

it to her own bosom, as if to stab herself. At length, as if out

of breath, she took the tabor from Abdalla with her left hand, and

holding the dagger in her right, she held out the tabor to Ali Baba,

who threw a piece of gold into it. Morgiana then held the tabor out to

his son, who did the same. Cogia Houssam, who saw that she was coming

to him next, had already taken his purse from his bosom, and was

putting his hand in it, when Morgiana, with great courage, suddenly

plunged the dagger into his heart.

Ali Baba and his son, terrified at this action, uttered a loud cry:

"Wretch!" exclaimed Ali Baba, "what hast thou done? Thou hast ruined

me and my family forever."

"What I have done," replied Morgiana, "is not for your ruin, but for

your safety." Then opening Cogia Houssam's robe to show Ali Baba the

poniard which was concealed under it, "See," continued she, "the cruel

enemy you had to deal with; examine him, and you will recognize the

pretended oil-merchant and the Captain of the forty thieves! Do

you now see why he refused to eat salt with you? Can you require a

stronger proof of his treachery?"

Ali Baba, who now saw all that he owed to Morgiana for having thus

saved his life a second time, cried, "Morgiana, I gave you your

liberty, and at the same time promised to do more for you at some

future time. This time has come, and I present you to my son as his

wife." A few days after, Ali Baba had the marriage of his son and

Morgiana celebrated with great feasting.

After the marriage, Ali Baba decided to visit again the cave of the

forty thieves. On reaching it he repeated the word, "Open Sesame." At

once the door opened, and he entered the cave, and found that no one

had been in it from the time that Cogia Houssam had opened his shop

in the city. He therefore knew that the whole troop of thieves was

killed, and that he was the only person in the world who knew the

secret of the cave.

From that time Ali Baba and his son, whom he took to the cave and

taught the secret of how to enter it, enjoyed its riches with

moderation and lived in great happiness and comfort to the end of

their long lives.

NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Discussion. 1. How did Ali Baba make his living? 2. When did he

first see the robber band? 3. What words did the Captain say to gain

entrance to the cave? 4. Why did Ali Baba wish to see the cave? 5. How

did he plan to hide his gold after he returned home? 6. What aroused

the suspicions of his brother? 7. How did Cassim feel toward Ali Baba

when he heard the story? 8. What did Cassim plan to do? 9. Why could

not Cassim open the door after it closed upon him? 10. Why did Ali

Baba wish to conceal the fact that Cassim was killed by the robbers?

11. Why could not the robbers find Ali Baba's house after it had

been marked with chalk? 12. What plan did the Captain of the robbers

determine upon in order to have revenge upon Ali Baba? 13. How did

Morgiana discover the plot and prevent it from being carried out? 14.

How did Ali Baba reward her? 15. How did the Captain manage to win the

friendship of Ali Baba? 16. What was his object in doing this? 17. The

Captain would not eat salt in Ali Baba's house because, according

to an old Eastern custom, the use of salt at a meal was a sign of

friendship and loyalty. How did Morgiana save Ali Baba's life? 18. Who

is the cleverest person in the story? 19. Did Ali Baba have a right

to take the treasure from the robbers and keep it? Why? 20. Class

readings: Select passages to be read aloud in class. 21. Outline for

testing silent reading. Tell in your own words the story of Ali Baba,

using the following topics: (a.) the adventure in the forest; (b) Ali

Baba's return; (c) the fate of Cassim; (d) Morgiana's plans; (e) how

the thieves were caught; (f) how Ali Baba used his good fortune. 22.

Find in the Glossary the meaning of: bridled; recalling; astonished;

merchandise; retreat; hampers; resolved; uneasiness; utmost;

invention; packet; reflected; suppressed; ceremony; related; confused;

presently; enterprise; contrived; diminished; prevent; gilt;

surpassed; moderation. 23. Pronounce: Ali Baba; sesame; brocades;

inquiries; hearken; affliction; apothecary; lozenge; burial; comrades;

averted; corpse; Cogia Houssam; villain; curtsy; agility; poniard.

Phrases for Study

feasting his eyes, full of invention, natural death, repaired to her

house, had occasion to go out, lost their labor, thus disposed, wanted

nothing, collected her thoughts, rich stuffs, bear no malice, suitable

to that character.

SINDBAD THE SAILOR

(Ed.--This story, in it's original, uncondensed version, in addition

to many others, can be found at the web site https://www.gutenberg.org,

searching in the index for the title Arabian Nights.)

In the reign of the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid there lived in Baghdad a

poor porter called Hindbad. One day he was carrying a heavy burden

from one end of the town to the other; being weary, he took off his

load and sat upon it, near a large mansion.

He knew not who owned the mansion; but he went to the servants and

asked the name of the master. "How," replied one of them, "do you live

in Baghdad, and know not that this is the house of Sindbad the sailor,

that famous voyager, who has sailed round the world?"

The porter said, loud enough to be heard, "Almighty Creator of all

things, consider the difference between Sindbad and me! I work

faithfully every day and suffer hardships, and can scarcely get barley

bread for myself and family, while happy Sindbad spends riches and

leads a life of continual pleasure. What has he done to obtain a lot

so agreeable? And what have I done to deserve one so wretched?"

While the porter was thus complaining, a servant came out of the house

and said to him, "Sindbad, my master, wishes to speak to you. Come

in."

The servants took him into a great hall, where a number of people sat

around a table covered with all sorts of savory dishes. At the upper

end was a tall, grave gentleman, with a long white beard, and behind

him stood a number of officers and servants, all ready to attend his

pleasure. This person was Sindbad. Hindbad, whose fear was increased

at the sight of so many people and of so great a feast, saluted the

company tremblingly. Sindbad bade him draw near, and seating him at

his right hand, served him himself.

Now, Sindbad had heard the porter complain, and this it was that led

him to have the man brought in. When the repast was over, Sindbad

spoke to Hindbad, asked his name and business, and said: "I wish to

hear from your own mouth what it was you said in the street."

Hindbad replied, "My lord, I confess that my weariness put me out

of humor, and made me utter some foolish words, which I beg you to

pardon." "Do not think I am so unjust," resumed Sindbad, "as to blame

you. But you are mistaken about me, and I wish to set you right. You

think that I have gained without labor and trouble the ease and plenty

which I now enjoy. But make no mistake; I did not reach this happy

condition without suffering for several years more trouble of body and

mind than can well be imagined. Yes, gentlemen," he added, speaking

to the whole company, "I assure you that my sufferings have been so

extraordinary that they would make the greatest miser lose his love

of riches; and I will, with your leave, tell of the dangers I have

overcome, which I think will not be uninteresting to you."

THE FIRST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

He then told the following story:

My father was a wealthy merchant, much respected by everyone. He left

me a large fortune, which I wasted in wild living. I then remembered

Solomon's saying, "A good name is better than precious ointment," and

resolved to walk in my father's ways. I therefore made arrangements to

go on a voyage with some merchants.

After touching at many places where we sold or exchanged goods, we

were becalmed near a small island which looked like a green meadow.

The captain permitted some of us to land, but while we were eating and

drinking, the island began to shake, and he called to us to return to

the ship. What we thought was an island was really the back of a sea

monster. I had just time to catch hold of a piece of wood, when the

island disappeared into the sea.

The captain, thinking I was drowned, resolved to make use of a

favorable gale, which had just risen, to continue his voyage. I was

tossed by the waves all that day and night, but the next day I was

thrown upon an island. I was very feeble, but I crept along and found

a spring of water, which did much to restore my strength.

After this I went farther into the island and saw a man watching some

horses that were feeding near by. He was much surprised to see me and

took me to a cave where there were several other men. They told me

they were grooms of the Maharaja, ruler of the island, and that every

year they brought his horses to this uninhabited place for pasturage.

Next morning they returned to the capital of the island, taking me

with them. They presented me to the Maharaja, who ordered his people

to care for me. The capital has a fine harbor, where ships arrive

daily from all parts of the world, and I hoped soon to have a chance

to return to Baghdad.

One day the ship arrived in which I had sailed from home. I went to

the captain and asked for my goods. "I am Sindbad," I said, "and those

bales marked with his name are mine." At first the captain did not

know me, but after looking at me closely, he cried, "Heaven be praised

for your happy escape. These are your goods; take them and do what you

please with them."

I made a present of my choicest goods to the Maharaja, who asked me

how I came by such rarities. When I told him, he was much pleased and

gave me many valuable things in return. After exchanging my goods for

aloes, sandalwood, camphor, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger, I

sailed for home and at last reached Baghdad with goods worth one

hundred thousand sequins.

Sindbad stopped here and ordered the musicians to proceed with their

concert. When it was evening, Sindbad gave the porter a purse of one

hundred sequins and told him to come back the next day to hear more of

his adventures.

Hindbad put on his best robe the next day and returned to the

bountiful traveler, who welcomed him heartily. When all the guests

had arrived, dinner was served and continued a long time. When it was

ended, Sindbad said, "Gentlemen, hear now the adventures of my second

voyage. They deserve your attention even more than those of the

first."

THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

I planned, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at

Baghdad, but I grew weary of an idle life, and put to sea a second

time, with merchants I knew to be honorable. We embarked on board a

good ship and set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged

goods with great profit.

One day we landed on an island covered with fruit-trees, but we could

see neither man nor animal. We walked in the meadows and along the

streams that watered them. While some gathered flowers and others

fruits, I took my wine and provisions and sat down near a stream

between two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good

meal, and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but

when I awoke, the ship was gone.

In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I was sorry that

I had not been satisfied with the profits of my first voyage, that

might have been enough for me all my life. But my repentance came too

late. At last I took courage and, not knowing what to do, climbed to

the top of a lofty tree and looked about on all sides to see if I

could discover anything that could give me hope. Toward the sea I

could see nothing but sky and water; but looking over the land, I

beheld something white, and, coming down, I took what provisions I had

left and went toward it, the distance being so great that I could not

tell what it was.

As I came nearer, I thought it was a white dome, of great height and

size; and when I came up to it, I touched it and found it to be very

smooth. I went around to see if it was open on any side, but saw it

was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as it was so

smooth. It was at least fifty paces around.

By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky

became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was

much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it

was caused by a bird of monstrous size, that came flying toward me. I

remembered that I had often heard sailors speak of a wonderful bird

called the roc, and saw that the great dome which I so much admired

must be its egg. The bird alighted, and sat over the egg.

As I saw it coming, I crept close to the egg, so that I had before me

one of the legs of the bird, which was as big as the trunk of a tree.

I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, hoping that the roc next

morning would carry me out of this desert island.

After passing the night in this condition, the bird flew away as soon

as it was daylight, and carried me so high that I could not see the

earth; it afterwards descended so swiftly that I lost my senses. But

when I found myself on the ground, I speedily untied the knot, and had

scarcely done so when the roc, having taken up a serpent in its bill,

flew away.

The spot where it left me was surrounded by mountains that seemed

to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no chance of

getting out of the valley. When I compared this place with the desert

island from which the roc had brought me, I found that I had gained

nothing by the change.

As I walked through this valley, I saw it was strewn with diamonds,

some of which were of a surprising size. I had never believed what I

had heard sailors tell of the valley of diamonds, and of the tricks

used by merchants to obtain jewels from that place; but now I found

that they had stated nothing but the truth. For the fact is that the

merchants come to this valley when the eagles have young ones, and

throw great joints of meat into the valley; the diamonds, upon whose

points they fall, stick to them; the eagles pounce upon those pieces

of meat and carry them to their nests on the rocks to feed their

young; the merchants at this time run to the nests, drive off the

eagles, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.

I had thought the valley must surely be my grave, but now I took

courage and began to plan a way to escape. Collecting the largest

diamonds and putting them into the leather bag in which I used to

carry my provisions, I took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it

close around me, and then lay down upon the ground, face downwards,

the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle. I had scarcely

placed myself in this position when one of the eagles, having taken me

up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, carried me to his

nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants frightened the eagles,

and when they had forced them to quit their prey, one of them came

to the nest where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but,

recovering himself, instead of asking how I came thither, began to

quarrel with me, and asked why I stole his goods.

"You will treat me," replied I, "with more politeness when you know me

better. Do not be uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself,

more than all the other merchants together. Whatever they have they

owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley

those which you see in this bag."

I had scarcely done speaking when the other merchants came crowding

about us, much astonished to see me, but more surprised when I told

them my story.

They took me to their camp, and there, when I opened my bag, they were

surprised at the beauty of my diamonds, and confessed that they had

never seen any of such size and perfection.

I prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried,

for every merchant had his own nest, to take as many for his share as

he pleased. He, however, took only one, and that, too, the least of

them; and when I pressed him to take more, he said, "No, I am very

well satisfied with this gem, which is valuable enough to save me the

trouble of making any more voyages, and will bring as great a fortune

as I desire."

The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for

several days; and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds

that had fallen to his lot, we left the place and traveled near high

mountains, where there were serpents of great length, which we had the

fortune to escape.

We took shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle

of Roha, where the trees grow that yield camphor.

I pass over many other things peculiar to this island, lest I should

weary you. Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From

here we went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several

trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, and from there

I proceeded to Baghdad. There I gave presents to the poor, and lived

honorably upon the vast riches I had gained with so many terrible

hardships and so many great perils. Thus Sindbad ended the story of

the second voyage, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins, and invited

him to come the next day to hear more of his adventures.

THE THIRD VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

On the third day the porter again repaired to the house in which he

had heard such wonderful tales. After the dinner was finished, the

host began once more to tell of his travels.

I soon grew weary of a life of idleness and embarked with some

merchants on another long voyage. One day we were overtaken by a

storm, which drove us out of our course, and we were obliged to cast

anchor near an island. As soon as we landed, we were surrounded by

savage dwarfs, who took possession of our ship and sailed away. Left

without means of escape from the island, we determined to explore it,

in hope of finding food and shelter.

We had not advanced far, however, when we discovered that this island

was inhabited by giants, more savage than the dwarfs who had first

attacked us. We knew that we could not remain on the island, and so we

went back to the shore and planned how we might escape.

When night came, we made rafts, each large enough to carry three men,

and as soon as it was light we put to sea with all the speed we could.

The giants saw us as we pushed out and, rushing down to the water's

edge, threw great stones, which sank all the rafts except the one upon

which I was.

All that day and night we were tossed by the waves, but the next

morning we were thrown upon an island, where we found delicious fruit

which satisfied our hunger. Beautiful as this island was, we found

ourselves in danger as great as any we had escaped. My two companions

were killed by serpents, and I was almost in despair, when I saw a

ship in the distance. By shouting and waving my turban I attracted the

attention of the crew, and a boat was sent for me.

As soon as I saw the captain, I knew him to be the man who, in my

second voyage, had left me on the island. "Captain," said I, "I am

Sindbad, whom you left on the island."

"Heaven be praised," said the captain; "I am glad that my careless act

did not cause your death. These are your goods, which I always took

care to preserve."

We continued at sea for some time and touched at many islands, where I

traded for cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. At last I returned to

Baghdad with so much wealth that I knew not its value. I gave a great

deal to the poor and bought another estate.

Thus Sindbad finished the story of his third voyage. He gave another

hundred sequins to Hindbad and invited him to dinner the next day.

THE FOURTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

After dinner on the fourth day the merchant once more began to tell of

his adventures.

After I had rested from the dangers of my third voyage, my love for

trade and adventure again took hold of me. I provided a stock of goods

and started on another voyage. We had sailed a great way, when we were

overtaken by a storm, and the ship was wrecked. I clung to a plank and

was carried by the current to an island; here I found fruit and spring

water, which saved my life. The next day I started to explore the

island and, seeing some huts, I went toward them. The people who lived

in these huts were savages, and they took me prisoner. I was in such

fear of them that I could not eat, and at last I became sick.

After that they did not watch me so closely, and I found a chance to

escape. I traveled seven days, living upon coconuts, which served me

for food and drink. On the eighth day I met some people gathering

pepper, and I told them my story. They treated me with great kindness

and took me with them when they sailed home.

On arriving in their own country they presented me to their King, who

commanded his people to take care of me, and soon I was looked upon

as a native rather than a stranger. I was not, however, satisfied

to remain away from my own home and planned to escape and return to

Baghdad.

One day I saw a ship approaching the place where I was. I called

to the crew, and they quickly sent a boat and took me on board. We

stopped at several islands and collected great stores of costly goods.

After we had finished our traffic, we put to sea again and at last

arrived at Baghdad. I gave large sums to the poor and enjoyed myself

with my friends in feasts and amusements.

Here Sindbad made a present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he

requested to return the next day to dine with him and hear the story

of his fifth voyage.

THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

The story of the fifth day was as follows:

All the misfortunes I had undergone could not cure me of my desire to

make new voyages. I therefore had a ship built and, taking with me

several merchants, I started on my fifth voyage.

We touched at a desert island, where we found a roc's egg. We could

see that the young bird had begun to break the shell with his beak.

The merchants who were with me broke the shell with hatchets and

killed the young roc. Scarcely had they done this when the parent

birds flew down with a frightful noise. We hurried to the ship and set

sail as speedily as possible. But the great birds followed us, each

carrying a rock between its claws. When they came directly over our

ship, they let the rocks fall, and the ship was crushed and most of

the passengers killed. I caught hold of a piece of the wreck and swam

to an island. Here I found fruit and streams of fresh, pure water.

After resting and eating some of the fruit, I determined to find out

who lived upon the island.

I had not walked far, when I saw an old man sitting on the bank of a

stream. He made signs to me to carry him over the brook, and as he

seemed very weak, I took him upon my back and carried him across. When

we reached the other side, the old man threw his legs around my neck

and squeezed my throat until I fainted. But he kept his seat and

kicked me to make me stand up. He made me carry him all that day, and

at night lay down with me, still holding fast to my neck.

This continued for some time, and I grew weaker every day. One day,

feeling sure that I could not escape, he began to laugh and sing and

move around on my back. This was my opportunity, and, using all my

strength, I threw him to the ground, where he lay motionless.

Feeling very thankful at my escape, I went down to the beach and saw a

ship at anchor there. The crew were very much surprised when I told my

adventure. "You are the first," they said, "who ever escaped from the

old man of the sea after falling into his power."

We soon put out to sea and after a few days arrived at a great city.

One of the merchants invited me to go with him and others to gather

coconuts. The trunks of the coconut trees were lofty and very smooth,

and I saw many apes among the branches. It was not possible to climb

the trees, but the merchants, by throwing stones, provoked the apes

to throw the coconuts at us, and by this trick we collected enough

coconuts to load our ship.

We then set sail and touched at other islands, where I exchanged

my coconuts for pepper and wood of aloes. I also hired divers, who

brought me up pearls that were very large and perfect. When I returned

to Baghdad, I made vast sums from my pepper, precious woods, and

pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains to charity, as I had done on my

return from other voyages.

Sindbad here ordered one hundred sequins to be given to Hindbad and

requested him to dine with him the next day to hear the account of his

next voyage.

THE SIXTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

When dinner was finished on the sixth day, Sindbad spoke as follows:

After a year's rest I prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the

entreaties of my friends, who did all in their power to keep me at

home. I traveled through several provinces of Persia and the Indies,

and then embarked on a long voyage, in the course of which the ship

was carried by a rapid current to the foot of a high mountain, where

she struck and went to pieces.

We managed to save most of our provisions and our goods, but it was

impossible to climb the mountain or to escape by the sea. We were

obliged to remain upon the strip of shore between the mountain and the

sea. At last our provisions were exhausted, and my companions died,

one after the other. Then I determined to try once more to find a way

of escape.

A river ran from the sea into a dark cavern under an archway of rock.

I said to myself, "If I make a raft and float with the current, it

will doubtless carry me to some inhabited country." I made a very

solid raft and loaded it with bales of rich goods from the wreck,

and rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones which covered the

mountain.

As soon as I entered the cavern, I found myself in darkness and I

floated on, I knew not where. I must have fallen asleep, for when I

opened my eyes I was on the bank of a river, and a great many people

were around me. They spoke to me, but I did not understand their

language. I was so full of joy at my escape from death that I said

aloud in Arabic, "Close thine eyes, and while thou art asleep, Heaven

will change thy evil fortune into good fortune."

One of the men, who understood Arabic, said, "Brother, we are

inhabitants of this country and water our fields from this river. We

saw your raft, and one of us swam out and brought it here. Pray tell

us your history." After they had given me food, I told them my story,

and then they took me to their King. I told the King my adventures;

and when my raft was brought in, I showed him my rich goods and

precious stones. I saw that my jewels pleased him, and I said, "Sire,

I am at your Majesty's service, and all that I have is yours." He

answered, with a smile, "Sindbad, I will take nothing from you; far

from lessening your wealth, I mean to increase it."

I prayed the King to allow me to return to my own country, and he

granted me permission in the most honorable manner. He gave me a rich

present and a letter for the Commander of the Faithful, our sovereign,

saying to me, "I pray you, give this present and this letter to the

Caliph Harun-al-Rashid."

The letter was written on the skin of a certain animal of great value,

very scarce, and of a yellowish color. The characters of this letter

were of azure, and the contents as follows:

"The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephants, who

lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand rubies, and

who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns enriched with diamonds,

to Caliph Harun-al-Rashid "Though the present we send you be small,

receive it, however, as a brother and a friend, in consideration of

the hearty friendship which we bear for you, and of which we are

willing to give you proof. We send you this letter as from one brother

to another. Farewell."

The present consisted of one single ruby made into a cup, about half

a foot high and an inch thick, filled with round pearls large and

beautiful; the skin of a serpent, whose scales were as bright as an

ordinary piece of gold, and had the power to preserve from sickness

those who lay upon it; quantities of the best wood of aloes and

camphor; and, lastly, a wonderful robe covered with jewels of great

beauty.

The ship set sail, and after a successful voyage we landed at

Bussorah, and from there I went to the city of Baghdad, where the

first thing I did was to go to the palace of the Caliph.

Taking the King's letter, I presented myself at the gate of the

Commander of the Faithful and was conducted to the throne of the

Caliph. I presented the letter and gift. When he had finished reading,

he asked me if that ruler were really as rich as he represented

himself in his letter.

I said, "Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your Majesty he does

not stretch the truth. I bear him witness. Nothing is more worthy of

admiration than the splendor of his palace. When the King appears in

public, he has a throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and rides

betwixt two ranks of his ministers and favorites, and other people of

his court. Before him, upon the same elephant, an officer carries a

golden lance in his hand, and behind him there is another who strands

with a rod of gold, on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long

and an inch thick. "He is attended by one thousand men, clad in cloth

of gold, and mounted on elephants richly decked. The officer who is

before him cries from time to time, in a loud voice, 'Behold the great

monarch, the powerful Sultan of the Indies, the monarch greater than

Solomon and the powerful Maharaja. After he has pronounced these

words, the officer behind the throne cries in his turn, 'This monarch,

so great and so powerful, must die, must die, must die.' And the

officer before replies, 'Praise be to Him alone who liveth forever and

ever.'"

The Caliph was much pleased with my account, and sent me home with a

rich present.

Here Sindbad commanded another hundred sequins to be paid to Hindbad,

and begged his return on the morrow to hear of his last voyage.

THE LAST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR

On the seventh day, after dinner, Sindbad told the story of his last

voyage:

On my return home from my sixth voyage, I had entirely given up all

thoughts of again going to sea; for, not only did my age now

require rest, but I was resolved to run no more such risks as I had

encountered, so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my

days in peace.

One day, however, an officer of the Caliph inquired for me. "The

Caliph," said he, "has sent me to tell you that he must speak with

you." I followed the officer to the palace, where, being presented to

the Caliph, I saluted him, throwing myself at his feet.

"Sindbad," said he to me, "I stand in need of your service; you must

carry my answer and present to the King of the Indies."

This command of the Caliph was to me like a clap of thunder.

"Commander of the Faithful," I replied, "I am ready to do whatever

your Majesty shall think fit to command; but I beg you most humbly to

consider what I have undergone. I have also made a vow never to leave

Baghdad."

The Caliph insisted, and I finally told him that I was willing to

obey. He was pleased, and gave me one thousand sequins for the

expenses of my journey.

I prepared for my departure in a few days. As soon as the Caliph's

letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where I

embarked, and had a safe voyage. Having arrived at the capital of the

Indies, I was shown to the palace with much pomp, when I prostrated

myself on the ground before the King.

"Sindbad," said the King, "you are welcome; I have many times thought

of you; I bless the day on which I see you once more." I thanked him

for his kindness, and delivered the gifts from my master.

The Caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, fifty robes

of rich stuff, a hundred of white cloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez,

and Alexandria; a vessel of agate, more broad than deep, an inch

thick, and half a foot long, the bottom of which was carved to

represent a man with one knee on the ground, who held a bow and arrow,

ready to discharge at a lion. He sent him also a rich tablet, which,

according to tradition, had belonged to the great Solomon.

The King of the Indies was highly gratified at the Caliph's mark of

friendship. A little time after this I asked leave to depart, and with

much difficulty obtained it. The King, when he dismissed me, made me

a very splendid present. I embarked for Baghdad, but had not the good

fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had hoped. Three or four days

after my departure we were attacked by pirates, who seized upon our

ship, because it was not a vessel of war. Some of the crew fought

back, which cost them their lives. But myself and the rest, who were

not so rash, the pirates saved, and carried into a distant island,

where they sold us.

I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought

me, took me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely as

a slave. Some days after, he asked me if I understood any trade. I

answered that I was no mechanic, but a merchant, and that the pirates

who sold me had robbed me of all I had.

"Tell me," he said, "can you shoot with a bow?" I answered that the

bow was one of my exercises in my youth.

Then my master told me to climb into a tree and shoot at the elephants

as they passed and let him know as soon as I killed one, in order that

he might get the tusks. I hid as he told me, and as I was successful

the first day, he sent me day after day, for two months.

One morning the elephants surrounded my tree, and the largest pulled

up the tree with his trunk and threw it on the ground. Then, picking

me up, he laid me on his back and carried me to a hill almost covered

with the bones and tusks of elephants. I knew that this must be the

burial place of the elephants and they had brought me here to show me

that I could get vast quantities of ivory without killing any more

elephants.

I went back to the city and told my master all that had happened.

He was overjoyed at my escape from death and the riches which I had

obtained for him. As a reward for my services he set me free and

promised to send me home as soon as the trade winds brought the ships

for ivory.

A ship arrived at last, and my master loaded one half of it with ivory

for me. When we reached a port on the mainland, I landed my ivory and

set out for home with a caravan of merchants. I was a long time on the

journey, but was happy in thinking that I had nothing to fear from

the sea or from pirates. At last I arrived at Baghdad, and the Caliph

loaded me with honors and rich presents.

Sindbad here finished the story of his seventh and last voyage. Then

addressing himself to Hindbad, he said, "Well, friend, did you ever

hear of any person who had suffered as much as I have?"

Hindbad kissed Sindbad's hand and said, "Sir, my afflictions are not

to be compared with yours. You not only deserve a quiet life, but are

worthy of all the riches you possess. May you live happily for a long

time."

Sindbad ordered him to be paid another hundred sequins and told him to

give up carrying burdens and to eat henceforth at his table, for he

wished him to remember that he would always have a friend in Sindbad

the Sailor.

NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Discussion. 1. Why did Sindbad tell the story of his voyages? 2.

What was the effect of these stories upon Hindbad? 3. If Hindbad had

desired to become as rich as Sindbad, what should he have done, and

what price would he have paid? 4. Why did Sindbad give money to his

guest at the end of each story? 5. Did he do other good deeds with his

money? 6. In each of these three long stories, of Aladdin, Ali Baba,

and Sindbad the Sailor, what do you learn about the duty of men who

have by chance or by their own hard work succeeded in acquiring

riches? 7. How many voyages did Sindbad make to satisfy his love of

adventure? 8. Which voyage was undertaken to please someone else? 9.

Mention some things that Sindbad sold at great profit. 10. Where are

these articles most used or valued? 11. Why was it so difficult to

travel by water at the time Sindbad lived? 12. What do we learn about

Sindbad's character from the story of his voyages? 13. What do we

learn about Sindbad's character from his treatment of Hindbad? 14.

What parts of the story show that people in Sindbad's time knew very

little about geography? 15. Which of Sindbad's seven voyages is the

most interesting to you? 16. What have you learned of Eastern customs

from this story? 17. Earlier you were told why we read adventure

stories of this kind; show why you think the Arabian Nights stories

have the two values mentioned. 18. Class readings: Select passages to

be read aloud. 19. Outline for testing silent reading. Tell in your

own words the story of each of the voyages of Sindbad, using the topic

headings given in the book. If possible, try to tell these stories to

some child who cannot read them. 20. The Arabian Nights by Wiggin and

Smith was illustrated by the famous American artist, Maxfield Parrish;

you will enjoy looking at these pictures. 21. Find in the Glossary the

meaning of: mansion; grave; humor; ointment; sandalwood; repentance;

turban; shipping; traffic; azure. 22. Pronounce: Caliph;

Harun-al-Rashid; savory; repast; becalmed; Maharaja; rarities; aloes;

sequin; roc; desert; Arabic; sovereign; tradition.

Phrases for Study

attend his pleasure, Commander of the Faithful, bountiful traveler,

trade winds.

THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD

(Ed.--This story, in it's original, uncondensed version, in addition

to many others, can be found at the web site https://www.gutenberg.org,

searching in the index for the title Robin Hood.)

THE HOME OF ROBIN IN SHERWOOD FOREST

Many hundreds of years ago, when the Plantagenets were kings, England

was so covered with woods that a squirrel was said to be able to hop

from tree to tree from the Severn to the Humber.

It must have been very different-looking from the country we travel

through now; but still there were roads that ran from north to south

and from east to west, for the use of those who wished to leave their

homes, and at certain times of the year these roads were thronged with

people. Pilgrims going to some holy shrine passed along, merchants

taking their wares to Court, Abbots and Bishops ambling by on palfreys

to bear their part in the King's Council, and, more frequently still,

a solitary Knight, seeking adventures.

Besides the broad roads there were small tracks and little green

paths, and these led to clumps of low huts, where dwelt the peasants,

charcoal-burners, and plowmen, while here and there some larger

clearing than usual told that the house of a yeoman was near.

Now and then as you passed through the forest you might ride by a

splendid abbey, and catch a glimpse of monks in long black or white

gowns, fishing in the streams and rivers that abound in this part of

England, or casting nets in the fish ponds which were in the midst

of the abbey gardens. Or you might chance to see a castle with round

turrets and high battlements, circled by strong walls, and protected

by a moat full of water.

This was the sort of England into which the famous Robin Hood was

born. We know very little about him, who he was, or where he lived,

except that for some reason he had offended the King, who had declared

him an outlaw, so that any man might kill him and never pay a penalty

for it.

But, outlaw or not, the poor people loved him and looked on him as

their friend, and many a stout fellow came to join him, and led a

merry life in the greenwood, with moss and fern for bed, and for meat

the King's deer, which it was death to slay.

Peasants of all sorts, tillers of the land, yeomen, and, as some say,

Knights, went on their ways freely, for of them Robin took no toll;

but rich men with moneybags well filled trembled as they drew near to

Sherwood Forest--who was to know whether behind every tree there did

not lurk Robin Hood or some of his men?

THE COMING OF LITTLE JOHN

One day Robin was walking alone in the wood, and reached a river which

was spanned by a very narrow bridge, over which one man only could

pass. In the middle stood a stranger, and Robin bade him go back and

let him go over. "I am no man of yours," was all the answer Robin got,

and in anger he drew his bow and fitted an arrow to it.

"Would you shoot a man who has no arms but a staff?" asked the

stranger in scorn; and with shame Robin laid down his bow, and

unbuckled an oaken stick at his side. "We will fight till one of us

falls into the water," he said; and fight they did, till the stranger

planted a blow so well that Robin rolled over into the river.

"You are a brave soul," said he, when he had waded to land; and he

blew a blast with his horn which brought fifty good fellows, clad in

green, to the little bridge. "Have you fallen into the river, that

your clothes are wet?" asked one; and Robin made answer, "No, but this

stranger, fighting on the bridge, got the better of me and tumbled me

into the stream."

At this the foresters seized the stranger and would have ducked him,

had not their leader bade them stop and begged the stranger to stay

with them and make one of themselves. "Here is my hand," replied the

stranger, "and my heart with it. My name, if you would know it, is

John Little."

"That must be altered," cried Will Scarlett; "we will call a feast,

and henceforth, because he is full seven feet tall and round the waist

at least an ell, he shall be called Little John."

And thus it was done; but at the feast Little John, who always liked

to know exactly what work he had to do, put some questions to Robin

Hood. "Before I join hands with you, tell me first what sort of life

this is you lead. How am I to know whose goods I shall take, and

whose I shall leave? Whom shall I beat, and whom shall I refrain from

beating?"

And Robin answered: "Look that you harm not any tiller of the ground,

nor any yeoman of the greenwood--no, nor any knight or squire, unless

you have heard him ill spoken of. But if rich men with moneybags come

your way, see that you spoil THEM, and mark that you always hold in

your mind the High Sheriff of Nottingham."

This being settled, Robin Hood declared Little John to be second in

command to himself among the brotherhood of the forest, and the

new outlaw never forgot to hold in his mind the High Sheriff of

Nottingham, who was the bitterest enemy the foresters had.

Robin Hood, however, had no liking for a company of idle men about

him, so he at once sent off Little John and Will Scarlett to the great

road known as Wafting Street with orders to hide among the trees and

wait till some adventure might come to them. If they took captive Earl

or Baron, Abbot or Knight, he was to be brought unharmed back to Robin

Hood.

But all along Wafting Street the road was bare; white and hard it lay

in the sun, without the tiniest cloud of dust to show that a rich

company might be coming; east and west the land lay still.

LITTLE JOHN'S FIRST ADVENTURE

At length, just where a side path turned into the broad highway, there

rode a Knight, and a sorrier man than he never sat a horse on a summer

day. One foot only was in the stirrup; the other hung carelessly by

his side. His head was bowed, the reins dropped loose, and his horse

went on as he would. At so sad a sight the hearts of the outlaws were

filled with pity, and Little John fell on his knees and bade the

Knight welcome in the name of his master. "Who is your master?" asked

the Knight.

"Robin Hood," answered Little John.

"I have heard much good of him," replied the Knight, "and will go with

you gladly."

Then they all set off together, tears running down the Knight's cheeks

as he rode. But he said nothing; neither was anything said to him. And

in this wise they came to Robin Hood.

"Welcome, Sir Knight," cried he, "and thrice welcome, for I waited to

break my fast till you or some other had come to me." "God save you,

good Robin," answered the Knight; and after they had washed themselves

in the stream, they sat down to dine off bread and wine, with flesh of

the King's deer, and swans and pheasants. "Such a dinner have I not

had for three weeks and more," said the Knight.

"And if I ever come again this way, good Robin, I will give you as

fine a dinner as you have given me."

"I thank you," replied Robin; "my dinner is always welcome; still, I

am none so greedy but I can wait for it. But before you go, pay me, I

pray you, for the food which you have had. It was never the custom for

a yeoman to pay for a Knight."

"My bag is empty," said the Knight, "save for ten shillings only."

"Go, Little John, and look in his wallet," said Robin, "and, Sir

Knight, if in truth you have no more, not one penny will I take; nay,

I will give you all that you shall need."

So Little John spread out the Knight's mantle, and opened the bag, and

therein lay ten shillings and naught besides.

"What tidings, Little John?" cried his master.

"Sir, the Knight speaks truly," said Little John.

"Then fill a cup of the best wine and tell me Sir Knight, whether it

is your own ill doings which have brought you to this sorry pass."

"For a hundred years my fathers have dwelt in the forest," answered

the Knight, "and four hundred pounds might they spend yearly. But

within two years misfortune has befallen me, and my wife and children

also."

"How did this evil come to pass?" asked Robin.

"Through my own folly," answered the Knight, "and because of the great

love I bore my son, who would never be guided of my counsel, and slew,

ere he was twenty years old, a Knight of Lancaster and his squire. For

their deaths I had to pay a large sum, which I could not raise without

giving my lands in pledge to a rich man at York. If I cannot give him

the money by a certain day, they will be lost to me forever."

"What is the sum?" asked Robin. "Tell me truly."

"It is four hundred pounds," said the Knight.

"And what will you do if you lose your lands?" asked Robin again.

"Hie myself over the sea," said the Knight, "and bid farewell to my

friends and country. There is no better way open to me."

As he spoke, tears fell from his eyes, and he turned to depart.

"Good day, my friend," he said to Robin; "I cannot pay you what I

should--" But Robin held him fast. "Where are your friends?" asked he.

"Sir, they have all forsaken me, since I became poor, and they turn

away their heads if we meet upon the road, though when I was rich they

were ever in my castle."

When Little John and Will Scarlett and the rest heard this, they wept

for very shame and fury, and Robin bade them fill a cup of the best

wine and give it to the Knight.

"Have you no one who would stay surety for you?" said he.

"None," answered the Knight; "there is no one who will stay surety for

me."

"You speak well," said Robin, "and you, Little John, go to my treasure

chest, and bring me thence four hundred pounds. And be sure you count

it truly."

So Little John went, and Will Scarlett, and they brought back the

money.

"Sir," said Little John, when Robin had counted it and found it no

more and no less, "look at his clothes, how thin they are! You have

stores of garments, green and scarlet, in your coffers--no merchant in

England can boast the like. I will measure some out with my bow." And

thus he did.

"Master," spoke Little John again, "there is still something else. You

must give him a horse, that he may go as beseems his quality to York."

"Take the gray horse," said Robin, "and put a new saddle on it, and

take likewise a good palfrey and a pair of boots, with gilt Spurs on

them. And as it would be a shame for a Knight to ride by himself on

this errand, I will lend you Little John as squire--perchance he may

stand you in yeoman's stead."

"When shall we meet again?" asked the Knight.

"This day twelve months," said Robin, "under the greenwood tree."

THE KNIGHT WINS BACK HIS LANDS

Then the Knight rode on his way, with Little John behind him, and as

he went he thought of Robin Hood and his men, and blessed them for the

goodness they had shown toward him.

"Tomorrow," he said to Little John, "I must be in the city of York,

for if I am so much as a day late, my lands are lost forever; and

though I were to bring the money, I should not be allowed to redeem

them."

Now the man who had lent the money, as well as the Knight, had been

counting the days, and the next day he said to his friends, "This

day year there came a Knight and borrowed of me four hundred pounds,

giving his lands as surety. If he come not to pay his debt before

midnight, they will be mine forever."

"It is full early yet," said one; "he may still be coming."

"He is far beyond the sea and suffers from hunger and cold," said the

rich man. "How is he to get here?"

"It were a shame," said another, "for you to take his lands. And you

do him much wrong if you drive such a hard bargain."

"He is dead or hanged," said a third, "and you will have his lands."

So they went to the High Justiciar, whose duty it would be to declare

the Knight's lands forfeited if he did not pay the money.

"If he come not this day," cried the rich man, rubbing his hands, "the

lands will be mine."

"He will not come," said the Justiciar, but he knew not that the

Knight was already at the outer gate, and Little John with him.

"Welcome, Sir Knight," said the porter. "The horse that you ride is

the noblest that ever I saw. Let me lead it and the steed of your

companion to the stable, that they may have food and rest."

"They shall not pass these gates," answered the Knight sternly, and he

entered the hall alone.

"I have come back, my lord," he said, kneeling down before the rich

man, who had just returned from court. "Have you brought my money?"

"I have come to pray you to give me more time," said the Knight.

"The day was fixed and cannot be gainsaid," answered the Justiciar,

who was sitting at meat with others in the hall.

The Knight begged the Justiciar to be his friend and help him, but he

refused.

"Give me one more chance to get the money and free my lands," prayed

the Knight. "I will serve you day and night till I have four hundred

pounds to redeem them." But the rich man only vowed that the money

must be paid that day or the lands be forfeited.

Then the Knight stood up straight and tall.

"You are not courteous," he said, "to make a Knight kneel so long. But

it is well to prove one's friends against the hour of need."

Then he looked the rich man full in the face, and the man felt uneasy

and hated the Knight more than ever. "Out of my hall, false Knight,"

he cried, pretending to a courage he did not feel.

But the Knight answered him, "Never was I false, and that I have shown

in jousts and in tourneys."

"Give him two hundred pounds more," said the Justiciar to the rich

man, "and keep the lands yourself."

"No," cried the Knight, "not if you offered me a thousand pounds would

I do it. No one here shall be heir of mine." Then he strode up to a

table and emptied out four hundred pounds. "Take your gold which you

lent to me a year agone," he said. "Had you but received me civilly, I

would have paid you something more."

Then he passed out of the hall singing merrily and rode back to his

house, where his wife met him at the gate.

He went forth full merrily singing, As men have told in tale; His lady

met him at the gate, At home in Wierysdale.

"Welcome, my lord," said his lady; "Sir, lost is all your good." "Be

merry, dame," said the Knight, "And pray for Robin Hood."

Then he told how Robin Hood had befriended him, and how he had

redeemed his lands, and finished his tale by praising the outlaw. "But

for his kindness," he said, "we had been beggars."

After this the Knight dwelt at home, looking after his lands and

saving his money carefully, till the four hundred pounds lay ready for

Robin Hood. Then he bought a hundred bows and a hundred arrows, and

every arrow was an ell long, and had a head of silver and peacock's

feathers. And clothing himself in white and red, and with a hundred

men in his train, he set off to Sherwood Forest.

On the way he passed an open space near a bridge where there was a

wrestling, and the Knight stopped and looked, for he himself had taken

many a prize in that sport. Here the prizes were such as to fill any

man with envy: a fine horse, saddled and bridled, a great white bull,

a pair of gloves, and a ring of bright, red gold.

There was not a yeoman present who did not hope to win one of them.

But when the wrestling was over, the yeoman who had beaten them all

was a man who kept apart from his fellows and was said to think much

of himself.

Therefore the men grudged him his skill, and set upon him with blows,

and would have killed him had not the Knight, for love of Robin Hood,

taken pity on him, while his followers fought with the crowd, and

would not suffer them to touch the prizes a better man had won.

When the wrestling was finished, the Knight rode on, and there under

the greenwood tree, in the place appointed, he found Robin and his

merry men waiting for him, according to the tryst that they had fixed

last year.

"God save thee, Robin Hood,

And all this company."

"Welcome be thou, gentle Knight,

And right welcome to me.

"Hast thou thy land again?" said Robin;

"Truth then tell thou me."

"Yea, 'fore God," said the Knight,

"And for it thank I God and thee.

"Have here four hundred pounds,

The which you lent to me;

And here are also twenty marks

For your courtesie."

But Robin would not take the money. A miracle had happened, he said,

and it had been paid to him, and shame would it be for him to take it

twice over.

Then he noticed for the first time the bows and arrows which the

Knight had brought, and asked what they were. "A poor present to you,"

answered the Knight; and Robin, who would not be outdone, sent Little

John once more to his treasury, and bade him bring forth four hundred

pounds, which were given to the Knight.

After that they parted, in much love; and Robin prayed the Knight if

he were in any strait to let him know at the greenwood tree, and while

there was any gold there he should have it.

HOW LITTLE JOHN BECAME THE SHERIFF'S SERVANT

Meanwhile the High Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed a great

shooting-match in a broad open space, and Little John was minded to

try his skill with the rest. He rode through the forest, whistling

gaily to himself, for well he knew that not one of Robin Hood's men

could send an arrow as straight as he, and he felt little fear of

anyone else.