Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep
the business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till
midnight. Then her fear redoubled, and her grief was the more sensible
because she was forced to keep it to herself. She repented of her
foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of prying into the affairs of
her brother and sister-in-law. She spent all the night in weeping; and
as soon as it was day went to them, telling them, by her tears, the
cause of her coming.
Ali Baba did not wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go to see
what was become of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three
asses, begging of her first to moderate her grief. He went to the
forest, and when he came near the rock, having seen neither his
brother nor his mules on his way, was seriously alarmed at finding
some blood spilt near the door, which he took for an ill omen; but
when he had pronounced the word, and the door had opened, he was
struck with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's body. He was
not long in determining how he should pay the last dues to his
brother; but without adverting to the little fraternal affection he
had shown for him, went into the cave, to find something to enshroud
his remains. Having loaded one of his asses with them, he covered
them over with wood. The other two asses he loaded with bags of gold,
covering them with wood also as before; and then, bidding the door
shut, he came away; but was so cautious as to stop some time at the
end of the forest, that he might not go into the town before night.
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