flew open, and entering thereby he saw the goods and hoard of gold and silver untouched and lying as he had left them.  So he felt assured that not one of all the thieves remained alive, and, that save himself there was not a soul who knew the secret of the place.  At once he bound in his saddle-cloth a load of Ashrafis such as his horse could bear and brought it home; and in after days he showed the hoard to his sons and sons’ sons and taught them how the door could be caused to open and shut.  Thus Ali Baba and his household lived all their lives in wealth and joyance in that city where erst he had been a pauper, and by the blessing of that secret treasure he rose to high degree and dignities.—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

The end of the Six Hundred and thirty-ninth Night.

Then by the command of King Shahryar Queen Shahrazad began to tell in these words the story of

ALI KHWAJAH AND THE MERCHANT OF BAGHDAD

Under the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid there dwelt in the city of Baghdad a certain merchant, ’Ali Khwajah hight, who had a small stock of goods wherewith he bought and sold and made a bare livelihood, abiding alone and without a family in the house of her forbears.  Now so it came to pass that each night for three nights together he saw in a vision a venerable Shaykh who bespake him thus, “Thou art beholden to make a pilgrimage to Meccah; why abidest thou sunk in heedless slumber and farest not forth as it behoveth thee?"[FN#307] Hearing these words he became sore startled and affrighted, so that he sold shop and goods and all that he had; and, with firm intent to visit the Holy House of Almighty Allah, he let his home on hire and joined a caravan that was journeying to Meccah the Magnified.  But ere he left his natal city he placed a thousand gold pieces, which were over and above his need for the journey, within an earthen jar filled up with Asafiri[FN#308] or Sparrow-olives; and, having made fast the mouth thereof, he carried the jar to a merchant-friend of many years standing and said, “Belike, O my brother, thou hast heard tell that I purpose going with a caravan on pilgrimage to Meccah, the Holy City; so I have brought a jar of olives the which, I pray thee, preserve for me in trust against my return.”  The merchant at once arose and handing the key of his warehouse to Ali Khwajah said, “Here, take the key and open the store and therein place the jar anywhere thou choosest, and when thou shalt come back thou wilt find it even as thou leftest it.”  Hereupon Ali Khwajah did his friend’s bidding and locking up the door returned the key to its master.  Then loading his travelling goods upon a dromedary and mounting a second beast he fared forth with the caravan.  They came at length to Meccah the Magnified, and it was the month Zu al-Hijjah wherein myriads of Moslems hie thither on pilgrimage and pray and prostrate