Music Welcome to snoozecast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us on snoozecast.com and follow us on Instagram at snoozecast to find behind the scenes content. If you enjoy our show, you can support us by writing a review on the Apple Podcast app, sharing your favorite episode on social media and of course, you can share us with a friend. Here's a recent review we loved, The Subject Linus, Three Thumbs Up. It goes, I love Snues Cast, They Have Great Speakers, and An Amazing and Vast Selection of Stories. Thank you to whomever wrote this review. We're glad you enjoyed the show. This is episode 385, so in terms of our vast selection, we are proud to have more episodes currently available than there are nights in one year. We look forward to our 1,000th and 1 episode in a few years. This episode is brought to you by our Patreon supporters and by Heaps of Riches. Tonight we'll read a story called Allie Baba and the Forty Thieves from The Arabian Nights, their best known tales by Smith, Wigan and Parish. It has become one of the most familiar of The Arabian night's tales, and is where the

phrase, Open Sesame, comes from.

This vogue tale was added to the 1,000 and 1 night's anthology in the 18th century by

its French translator.

This translator heard it from a Syrian storyteller who traveled to Paris.

Let's get cozy. Close your eyes.

Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. In a town in Persia, there lived two brothers.

One named Kass... In a town in Persia, there lived two brothers, one named Kasim, the other, Ali Baba. Their father left them scarcely anything, but as he had divided his little property equally between them. It would seem that their fortune ought to have been equal, but chance determined otherwise. Cousin married a wife, who soon after became aress to a large sum, and to a warehouse full of rich goods so that he all at once became one of the richest and most considerable merchants and lived at his ease. Baba, on the other hand, who had married a woman as poor as himself, lived in a very wretched habitation, and had no other means to maintain his wife and children but his daily labor of cutting wood and bringing it to town to sell upon three donkeys which were his whole substance. One day when Ali Baba was in the forest and had just cut wood enough to load his donkeys.

He saw at a distance a great cloud of dust which seemed to be driven toward him. He observed it very attentively and Dist soon after a body of a horse. Though there had been no rumor of robbers in the country, Alibaba began to think that They might prove such, and without considering what might become of his donkeys, was resolved to save himself. He climbed up a large, thick tree whose branches, a little distance from the ground were so close to one another that there was but little space between them, he placed himself in the middle from once he could see all that passed without being discovered, and the tree stood at the base of a single rock, so steep and craggy that nobody could climb up it. The troop who were all well-mounted and armed came to the foot of this rock and there dismounted. Ali Baba counted forty of them and from their looks and equipment was assured that they were robbers. Or was he mistaken in his opinion, for they were a troop of Bantiti, who, without doing any harm to the neighborhood, robbed at a distance and made that place their rendezvous. what confirmed him in his opinion was that every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about his neck, a bag of corn which they brought behind them, then each of them took his saddle wallet, which seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and silver from its weight. One, who was the most personable amongst them, and whom he took to be their captain, came with his wallet on his back under the tree in

which Ali Baba was concealed, and making his way through some shrubs, pronounced these These words so distinctly open sesame that Ali Baba heard him. As soon as the captain of the robbers had uttered these words, a door opened in the rock. And after he had made all his troops enter before him, he followed them when the door shot again of itself. The robbers stayed some time within the rock and Ali Baba, who feared that someone or all of them together might come out and catch him if he should endeavor to make his escape, was obliged to sit patiently in the tree. He was nevertheless tempted to get down, mount one of their horses, and lead another, driving his donkeys before him with all the haste he could to town. but the uncertainty of the event made him choose the safest course. At last, the door opened again and the forty robbers came out. As the captain went in last, he came out first and stood to see them all pass by him. When Ali Baba heard him, make the words to close the door. Shut sesame. Every man went and bridled his horse.

Fasted. Shut, sesame.

Every man went and bridled his horse, fastened his wallet and mounted again. And when the captain saw them all ready, he found himself to go to their head and they returned the way they had come. Ali Baba did not immediately quit his tree for, so he said to himself, they may have forgotten something and may come back again and then I shall be taken.

He followed them with his eyes as far as he could see them, and afterwards stayed a considerable time before he descended. Remembering the words, the captain of the robbers used to cause

the door to open and shut. He had the curiosity to try if his pronouncing them would have the same effect. Portingly, he went among the shrubs, and perceiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said, Open Sesame. The door instantly flew wide open. Aliaba, who expected a dark, dismal cavern, was surprised to see it well-lighted and spacious in the form of a vault, which received the light from an opening at the top of the rock. He saw all sorts of provisions, rich bales of silk and valuable carpeting, piled upon one another, gold and silver in great heaps, and money in bags. The sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been occupied for ages by robbers who had succeeded one another. Ali Baba did not stand long to consider what he should do but went immediately into the cave. And as soon as he had entered, the door shut of itself. But this did not disturb him because he knew the secret to open it again. He never regarded the silver, but made the best use of his time in carrying out as much of the gold coin as he thought his three donkeys could carry. He collected his donkeys, which were dispersed. And when he had loaded them with the bags, laid wood over in such a manner that they could not be seen. When he had done, he stood before the door, and pronouncing the words, shut sesame,

the door closed after him. For it had shut of itself while he was within. But remained open while he was out. He then made the best of his way to town.

When Ali Baba got home, he drove his donkeys into a little yard, shut the gates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the bags, carried them into his house and ranged them in order before his wife, who sat on a sofa. His wife handled the bags and finding them full of money, Suspected that her husband had been robbing in so much that she could not help saying, Ali Baba, have you been? Hush wife interrupted Ali Baba. afraid in yourself. I am no robber, unless he may be one who steals from robbers. I shall tell you my good fortune. He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold as dazzled his wife's eyes. And when he had done, told her the whole adventure from beginning to end. And above all, recommended her to keep its secret. The wife, cured of her fears, rejoiced with her husband at their good fortune, and would Count all the gold piece by piece. Wife replied, Alibaba, you do not know what you undertake, when you pretend to count the money, you will never have done. I'll dig a hole and bury it. There is no time to be lost. You are in the right husband replied she, but let us know as nigh as possible how much we have. I'll borrow a small measure in the neighborhood and weigh it while you dig the hole. What you're going to do has no purpose, wife," said Ali Baba. If you would take my advice, you would better let it alone. But keep the secret and do what you please.

A wave ran the wife to her brother-in-law, Kasim, who lived just by, but was not then at home. and addressing herself to his wife, desired her to lend her a scale for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her whether she would have a great or a small one, the wife asked for a small one.

The sister-in-law agreed to lend one, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty, she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure. And, artfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure, brought it to her with an excuse that she was sorry that she had made her stay so long, but that she could not find it sooner. Ali Baba's wife went home, set the measure upon the heap of gold, filled it, and emptied it, often upon the sofa till she had done, when she was very well satisfied to find the number of measures amounted to so many as they did and went to tell her husband who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali Baba was burying the gold, his wife, to show her exactness and diligence to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without taking notice of the peace of gold that had stuck to the bottom. Sister, said she, giving it to her again. You see that I have not kept your measure long. I am obliged to you for it and return it with thanks." soon as her sister-in-law was gone. Cossie's wife looked at the bottom of the measure and was inexpressibly surprised to find a piece of gold stuck to it. The immediately possessed her breast. What?

Said she.

Has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it? Where has that poor wretch got all his wealth? Cousin, her husband, was not at home but at his counting house, which he always left in the evening. His wife waited for him and thought the time and age so great was her impatience, at which she guessed he might be as surprised as herself. When Kassim came home, she said, Kassim, I know you think yourself rich, but you're much mistaken. Ali Baba is infinitely richer than you. He does not count his money, but measures it. Cousine desired her to explain the riddle, which she did by telling him the strategy she He had used to the discovery, and showed him the piece of money,

which was so old that they could not tell in what prince's reign it was coined. and, cuss him, instead of being pleased, conceived a base envy at his brother's prosperity, he could not sleep all that night and went to him in the morning before sunrise. Although after he had married the rich widow, he had never treated him as a brother, but neglected him. Alibaba said he, accosting him. You're very reserved in your affairs. You pretend to be miserably poor, and yet you measure gold. How, brother, replied Ali Baba, I don't know what you mean, explain yourself. Do not pretend ignorance, replied Kasim, showing him the piece of gold, his wife, and given him. How many of these pieces added he? Have you? My wife found this at the bottom of the measure You borrowed yesterday. By this discourse, Ali Baba realized that Kasim and his wife through his own wife's folly knew what they had so much reason to conceal. Therefore, without showing the least surprise, he confessed, told his brother by what chance he had discovered this robber's retreat in what place it was, and offered him part of his treasure to keep the secret.

A high expectus? it was, and offered him part of his treasure to keep the secret. I expect as much, replied Casseme Haughtily, but I must know exactly where this treasure is, and how I may visit it myself when I choose. Otherwise, I will go and inform against you and then you will not only get no more, but I will lose all you have and I shall have a share for my information. Ali Baba, more out of his good temper than frightened by the menaces of his brother, told him all he desired, and even the very words he was to use to gain admission into the cave. Kassim, who wanted no more of Ali Baba, left him, resolving to be beforehand with him, and hoping to get all the treasure himself. He rose the next morning long before the sun, and set out for the forest with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed to fill, and followed the road, which Ali Baba had pointed out to him. He was not long before he reached

...