The thieves opened the cave and found Cassim trapped among their treasure. Furious that their hiding place had been discovered, they killed him and left his body inside as a warning.
When Cassim did not return, his wife went to Ali Baba. He entered the cave, found his brother, and carried him home beneath bundles of wood.
The family could not explain how Cassim had died without revealing the treasure. Morgiana, a clever young woman who managed Cassim’s household, took charge.
First she bought medicine, telling the shopkeeper Cassim was gravely ill. The next day she returned for stronger medicine, shaking her head sadly. Neighbours began to expect bad news.
Then, after dark, Morgiana visited an old cobbler named Baba Mustapha.
“Can you stitch by lamplight?” she asked, placing a gold coin in his hand.
“I can stitch with my eyes shut,” he boasted.
“Good.”
Morgiana blindfolded him and led him through several turns to Cassim’s house. There he sewed the body together so it could be buried with dignity. She covered his eyes again and guided him back. A proper funeral was held, and everyone believed Cassim had died after a sudden illness.
Ali Baba moved into his brother’s house and helped run the shop. The cave remained secret—almost.
When the thieves returned, Cassim’s body was gone. Their captain knew another person had entered. He sent one thief into town to search.
The scout met Baba Mustapha, who proudly mentioned sewing a dead man in a place he had never seen. A gold coin made the old cobbler remember even more. The thief covered his eyes and asked him to retrace the walk.
Baba Mustapha counted corners and felt the slope beneath his sandals. He stopped in Cassim’s street, though he could not say which door he had entered.
The scout removed the blindfold. Every house looked much like the next: pale walls, wooden doors, and water jars in the shade. Somewhere in that quiet row lived the person who knew the cave’s secret. The thief waited until the street emptied, took a piece of white chalk from his pocket, and began his search.