more oil in the house, nor any candles. What to do she did not
know, for the broth must be made. Abdalla, seeing her very uneasy,
said, "Do not fret and tease yourself, but go into the yard, and
take some oil out of one of the jars."

Morgiana thanked Abdalla for his advice, took the oil-pot, and
went into the yard; when, as she came nigh the first jar, the
robber within said softly, "Is it time?"

Though naturally much surprised at finding a man in the jar
instead of the oil she wanted, she immediately felt the importance
of keeping silence, as Ali Baba, his family, and herself were in
great danger; and, collecting herself, without showing the least
emotion, she answered, "Not yet, but presently." She went quietly
in this manner to all the jars, giving the same answer, till she
came to the jar of oil.

By this means Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba had admitted
thirty-eight robbers into his house, and that this pretended oil
merchant was their captain. She made what haste she could to fill
her oil-pot, and returned into the kitchen, where, as soon as she
had lighted her lamp, she took a great kettle, went again to the
oil-jar, filled the kettle, set it on a large wood fire, and as
soon as it boiled, went and poured enough into every jar to stifle
and destroy the robber within.

When this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed
without any noise, as she had projected, she returned into the
kitchen with the empty kettle; and having put out the great fire,
she had made to boil the oil, and leaving just enough to make the