Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: The Original Story and the Real Hero, Morgiana
The original Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: "Open Sesame," Cassim's fate, and how the clever servant Morgiana really saves the day. Plus the story's surprising history.
In this article
In the original Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, a poor woodcutter named Ali Baba overhears a band of thieves open their treasure cave with the words "Open Sesame." He takes some gold. His greedy brother Cassim follows, forgets the password to get out, and is killed by the thieves. The thieves hunt for Ali Baba, but the real hero of the story is Morgiana, a clever enslaved servant girl who foils three of their plots, including killing the thieves hidden in oil jars. As a reward, Ali Baba frees her and marries her to his son (or nephew, in some versions).
Like Aladdin, the tale entered One Thousand and One Nights through its French translator, Antoine Galland.
The Story
The cave
Ali Baba gathers wood in the forest. He sees forty horsemen arrive at a rock. Their captain says "Open Sesame," and a door opens into the rock. When they leave, the captain says "Close Sesame." Ali Baba tries the words, enters a cave filled with gold, silks and treasure, and takes a few bags of gold home.
Cassim's greed
Ali Baba's rich brother, Cassim, learns his secret when his wife finds a gold coin stuck to a measuring scale Ali Baba borrowed. Cassim forces Ali Baba to tell him the password. He goes to the cave with ten mules, gathers so much treasure that he forgets the password, tries every grain he can think of ("Open Barley!"), and is trapped. The thieves find and kill him, and cut his body into quarters as a warning.
Morgiana's first plan
Ali Baba brings Cassim's body home. To hide the murder, Morgiana visits an apothecary, pretending Cassim is seriously ill, and buys medicine. Then she blindfolds an old cobbler, Baba Mustafa, leads him to the house, and pays him to sew the body together so it can be buried normally.
The chalk marks
The thieves learn Cassim had a partner. One thief finds Baba Mustafa, who leads him blindfolded to the house. The thief marks the door with chalk. Morgiana notices and marks every door in the street the same way. The thieves can't tell which house it is, and the captain executes the thief who failed. A second thief tries red chalk; Morgiana does the same again.
The oil jars
The captain himself finds the house and devises a plan: he poses as an oil merchant, with thirty-seven jars carrying hidden thieves and one jar filled with oil. Ali Baba welcomes him as a guest. That night, Morgiana runs out of lamp oil and goes to the jars. A voice from a jar whispers, "Is it time?" Realizing the danger, she fills a kettle with oil from the full jar, boils it, and pours it into each jar, killing the thieves.
The dagger dance
The captain escapes and returns later in disguise as a merchant, "Cogia Houssain," who befriends Ali Baba's son. At a dinner, Morgiana notices he refuses salt (a sign that he won't share bread with a man he intends to kill). She performs a dance with a dagger for the guests and stabs the captain.
The reward
Ali Baba frees Morgiana and marries her to his son. Only Ali Baba knows the password, and his family enjoys the treasure for generations.
Morgiana: The True Hero
Ali Baba mostly reacts. Morgiana:
- Covers up Cassim's murder
- Defeats the chalk-mark plan twice
- Kills the hidden thieves
- Recognizes the disguised captain and kills him
Many readers argue the story should be called "Morgiana and the Forty Thieves." She's one of the most capable heroines in classic folklore.
Where Did Ali Baba Come From?
Antoine Galland heard Ali Baba in 1709 from Hanna Diyab, a Syrian storyteller from Aleppo, the same source as Aladdin. Galland published it in the last volumes of his Mille et une nuits. Like Aladdin, it's one of the "orphan tales" with no known Arabic manuscript earlier than Galland. Read the full background in the original Aladdin story and One Thousand and One Nights explained.
Why "Open Sesame"?
No one knows for sure. Sesame pods burst open when ripe, which may have made the word a natural magic command. Cassim's attempts with other grains ("Open Barley," "Open Wheat") are part of the joke. Today, "open sesame" means any easy way to gain access.
What Is the Moral?
| Character | Lesson |
|---|---|
| Ali Baba | Modesty and caution are rewarded |
| Cassim | Greed blinds you, literally making him forget the password |
| Morgiana | Intelligence and courage matter more than status |
| The thieves | Violence and deceit lead to ruin |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Open Sesame" mean in Ali Baba?
It's the password that opens the thieves' treasure cave.
Who is the real hero of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves?
Morgiana, the clever servant who repeatedly saves Ali Baba's family from the thieves.
What happens to Cassim?
He forgets the password, gets trapped in the cave and is killed by the thieves.
How does Morgiana kill the thieves?
She pours boiling oil into the jars where they're hiding.
Is Ali Baba from One Thousand and One Nights?
It was added by French translator Antoine Galland, who heard it from Hanna Diyab of Aleppo in 1709. No earlier Arabic manuscript is known.
