Overview
The story of Alibaba and the 40 Thieves follows Alibaba, a humble woodcutter who discovers a thieves' treasure cave, faces greed and danger from both his brother and the thieves, and ultimately survives due to the cleverness of his maid, Morgiana.
Characters and Relationships
- Alibaba is a poor woodcutter with a greedy brother, Cassim.
- Cassim inherits the family business and marries a wealthy woman.
- Alibaba supports his family by selling wood, while Cassim lives comfortably.
- Morgiana is Cassim's clever maid who later helps Alibaba.
Discovery of the Thieves' Cave
- Alibaba accidentally witnesses 40 thieves using "Open Sesame" to enter a secret cave.
- He enters the cave after the thieves leave and discovers great wealth.
- Alibaba takes a small amount of gold coins home to his wife.
Exposure and Consequences
- Alibaba's wife borrows weighing scales, which leads Cassim's wife to suspect newfound wealth.
- Cassim learns the secret and forces Alibaba to reveal the cave's location and password.
- Cassim enters the cave but forgets the password and is killed by the thieves.
Morgiana’s Intervention and Thieves' Retaliation
- Morgiana helps Alibaba hide Cassim's cause of death, pretending illness.
- The thieves search for who knows their secret after discovering Cassim’s body.
- A thief marks Alibaba’s house, but Morgiana foils the plan by marking all houses similarly.
The Thieves’ Final Plot and Morgiana’s Heroics
- The thieves’ leader disguises as an oil merchant, hiding thieves in barrels to kill Alibaba.
- Morgiana discovers the plot and pours boiling oil into the barrels, killing the hidden thieves.
- The leader flees upon discovering his plan failed.
Resolution
- Alibaba is grateful to Morgiana, making her a member of the family.
- Alibaba remains the sole possessor of the cave’s secret.