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 the robber spoke low, Morgiana
was struck with the voice the more, because the captain, when he
unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off this and all the other jars
to give air to his men, who were ill enough at their ease, almost
wanting room to breathe. As much surprised as Morgiana naturally was at
finding a man in a jar, instead of the oil she wanted, many would have
made such an outcry as to have given an alarm; whereas Morgiana
comprehending immediately the importance of keeping silence, and the
necessity of applying a speedy remedy without noise, conceived at once
the means, and collecting herself without shewing the least emotion,
answered: "Not yet, but presently." She went 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, who thought that
he had entertained an oil merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers
into his house, regarding this pretended merchant as their captain. She
made what haste she could to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her
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, 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 broth, put out the lamp also, and
remained silent; resolving not to go to rest till she had observed what
might follow through a window of the kitchen, which opened into the
yard.

She had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up, opened
the window, and finding no light, and hearing no noise, or any one
stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing little
stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the sound
they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving anything
whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began to grow
very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third time, and
could not comprehend the reason that none of them should answer his
signal. Much alarmed