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 never have done. I will go and dig a hole, and bury it; there is no time to be lost.'

'You are in the right, husband,' replied the wife; 'but let us know, as nearly as possible, how much we have. I will go and borrow a small measure in the neighbourhood, and measure it, while you dig the hole.'

'What you are going to do is to no purpose, wife,' said Ali Baba; 'if you take my advice, you had better let it alone; but be sure to keep the secret, and do what you please.'

Away the wife ran to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived close by, but was not then at home; and addressing herself to his wife, asked her to lend her a measure for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her whether she would have a large of a small one. 'A small one,' said she. Cassim's wife bade her wait a little, and she would readily fetch one.

The sister-in-law did so, but as she knew very well Ali Baba's poverty, she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure, and bethought herself of artfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure; then she brought it to her with the excuse that she was sorry that she had made her wait so long, but that she could not find it sooner.

Ali Baba's wife went home, set the measure upon the heap of gold, and filled it and emptied it, at a small distance upon the sofa till she had done: and she was very well satisfied to find that 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 punctuality to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without noticing that a piece of gold stuck at the bottom. 'Sister,' said she, giving it back to her again, 'you see that I have not kept your measure long: I am much obliged to you, and return it with thanks.'

As soon as Ali Baba's wife's back was turned, Cassim's wife looked at the bottom of the measure, and was inexpressibly surprised to find a piece of gold sticking to it. Envy immediately possessed her heart. 'What!' said she, 'has Ali Baba gold so plentifully as to measure it? Where has that poor wretch got all