Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves - Middle Eastern

My name is Morgiana, and I was a clever servant in the house of a kind woodcutter named Ali Baba. We lived in a sunny city in Persia, where the air smelled of spices and the streets were always busy. Our lives were peaceful, but I often daydreamed of adventures beyond our dusty roads. One morning, that adventure came looking for us, and it changed everything. This is the story of how our family discovered a great secret, a tale you might know as Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. It all began on an ordinary day when Ali Baba took his donkeys to the forest to gather firewood. He thought it would be just like any other day, but he was about to stumble upon something so secret and so dangerous that it would test all of our courage. He saw a cloud of dust in the distance and hid, his heart thumping like a drum, as a group of riders approached a huge, silent rock.

From his hiding place, Ali Baba’s eyes were as wide as saucers. He watched as forty rough-looking men stopped their horses before the giant rock. Their leader stood tall and shouted, "Open, Sesame!". I couldn't believe it when Ali Baba told me what happened next. A secret door slid open in the stone. After the thieves rode away, Ali Baba crept out and whispered the magic words himself. Inside, the cave was like a dream. It was filled with sparkling jewels, chests overflowing with gold coins, and colorful silks that shimmered in the dim light. He only took a small bag of coins, just enough to buy food for his family. But his brother, Cassim, was very greedy and found out about the cave. He rushed there to take as much treasure as he could, but in his excitement, he forgot the magic words to get out. The thieves found him, and they were very angry that someone had discovered their secret. Soon, they came to our city to find Ali Baba. Their leader snuck to our house at night and put a white chalk mark on our door so he would know which one it was. But I saw him. The next morning, I took some chalk and put the exact same mark on every single door on our street. The thieves were so confused. They tried again, hiding in giant oil jars they brought to our house, pretending to be a merchant. They planned to come out in the middle of the night, but I heard a whisper from one of the jars and knew their trick. I made sure their plan could not work and that they couldn't harm anyone in our home.

Because I was watchful and clever, Ali Baba and his whole family were safe from the thieves. Ali Baba was so thankful for my bravery that he treated me not as a servant, but as his own daughter. We lived together happily for many years, using the treasure from the cave to help our neighbors and make our city a wonderful place. The story of Ali Baba teaches everyone that the greatest treasures are not gold or jewels, but the courage in your heart and the cleverness in your mind. This exciting tale has been told for hundreds of years around campfires and in cozy rooms. Its magic continues to inspire movies and books, proving that a brave heart is a treasure that never fades.