Ali Baba y los Cuarenta Ladrones

In a cozy little village at the edge of a dense forest, there lived a humble woodcutter named Ali Baba. His home was filled with mysterious knick-knacks he'd found in the forest over the years—old lanterns, rusty keys, and dried herbs in glass jars. Despite his modest life, Ali Baba's small house always felt warm and inviting. One day, while chopping wood near the forest, Ali Baba's faithful donkey, Shimmer, began to bray nervously. He patted Shimmer to calm him. "What's wrong, Shimmer?" Ali Baba whispered. Suddenly, he heard the sound of hoofbeats and saw a large group of horsemen approaching. Ali Baba quickly hid behind a thick tree, pulling Shimmer close. The horsemen, dressed in dark cloaks, halted in front of a rocky cliff. Ali Baba watched in amazement as the leader of the bandits stood before the cliff and shouted, "Open sesame!" To Ali Baba's surprise, the solid rock began to part, revealing a hidden cave. The bandits entered, and the rock sealed shut behind them. When the bandits finally left, Ali Baba, with heart pounding but curiosity brimming, approached the cliff. "Open sesame!" he exclaimed, and the rock obediently slid open. Inside, he found an astonishing treasure—gold coins, sparkling jewels, and untold riches piled high. Ali Baba quickly filled his pockets and a sack with as much as he could carry and hurried back home. Ali Baba shared his discovery with his wife, who was equally amazed. "But we must be careful," she said. "We cannot let the bandits know we have found their treasure." They decided to use their newfound wealth to help their village discreetly, fixing homes, feeding the hungry, and providing medicine for the sick. Yet, trouble was brewing. Ali Baba’s greedy brother, Kasim, noticed the sudden changes and coaxed the secret out of him. Spurred by greed, Kasim hurried to the cave. He shouted, "Open sesame!" and the rock slid open once more. He greedily filled as many bags as he could, but in his rush, he forgot the magic words to exit the cave. Frantically, he tried, "Open barley! Open wheat!" But nothing worked. Soon, the bandits returned and found Kasim. Realizing someone had discovered their treasure, they took Kasim away and returned to their hideout, plotting revenge on whoever had shared their secret. One moonlit night, the bandit leader escorted his troops into Ali Baba's village, hiding them inside large barrels under the guise of selling oil. But Ali Baba’s clever maid, Morgiana, was suspicious. She peeked into one of the barrels and found a bandit crouched inside. Bravely, Morgiana devised a plan. She filled a kettle with boiling water and poured it into each barrel, hearing the bandits cry out one by one. When she reached the final barrel, it was empty; the leader had escaped! Morgiana raced to find Ali Baba. “Master, we must act quickly! The bandit leader is still out there, and he will come for you!” With a quick nod, Ali Baba and Morgiana prepared for the bandit leader’s attack. They set traps around the house and hid, waiting. Sure enough, the leader crept in, determined to exact his revenge. But he was quickly ensnared by the traps and captured. The village celebrated Morgiana’s bravery and Ali Baba's cleverness. From then on, Ali Baba and his family lived in peace, using the treasure to ensure their village remained prosperous and carefree. Ali Baba never forgot the power of friendship, courage, and clever thinking. And every night, under the glimmering stars, he’d tell Shimmer, "We've had quite the adventure, haven't we, old friend?" And Shimmer would bray in agreement, always ready for the next chapter of their story.