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After considering what she could possibly,
do for a light, she recollected the thirty
eight jars in the yard, and determined to
take a little oil out of one of them for her
lamp. She took her oil-pot in her hand,
and approaching the first jar, the robber
within said, “Is it time captain?" , Any
other slave, perhaps, on hearing a man in
an oil jar, would have screamed out; but
the prudent Morgiana instantly recollected
herself and replied softly, No, not yet, lie
still till I call you. She passed on to each
of the jars, receiving the same question and
giving the same answer, till she arrived at
the last, which was full of oil.
Morgiana was now convinced that this
was a plot of the robbers to murder her
master Ali Baba; so she ran back the
kitchen, and brought out a large kettle,
which she filled with oil, and set it on a
great wood fire; and as soon as it boiled,
she went and poured into the jars sufficient
of the boiling oil to kill every man within
them.
Having done this, she put out her fire
and lamp, and crept softly to her chamber.
The captain of the robbers hearing, every
thing quiet in the house, and perceiving no
light any where, arose and went down into
the yard to assemble his men. Coming to
the first jar, he felt the steams of the boiling
