Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

Told in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese.

Come close, my dear, and let me tell you a tale from the deserts of old Persia, full of secret caves and clever escapes. There once lived a poor but honest woodcutter named Ali Baba. One day, while gathering wood in the forest, he saw a band of forty fierce thieves ride up to a huge rock. Their leader called out, 'Open Sesame!' — and, would you believe it, the rock split wide open, revealing a hidden cave!

Ali Baba watched, hardly breathing, from behind a bush as the thieves carried sacks of gold and jewels inside, then rode away. Once they were gone, curious and brave, Ali Baba crept up to the rock and whispered the very same words: 'Open Sesame!' The rock swung open, and inside, my dear, he found more gold and treasure than he had ever imagined in his whole life! He filled a few sacks with just enough for his family and hurried home.

Ali Baba's greedy older brother, Cassim, learned the secret and rushed to the cave himself, filling sack after sack after sack with treasure. But in his excitement and greed, can you guess what happened? He completely forgot the magic words to get back out! He tried 'Open Barley,' and 'Open Wheat,' and every grain he could think of — but never the right one. When the forty thieves returned and found him trapped inside, that, sadly, was the end of greedy Cassim.

Ali Baba, meanwhile, used his treasure wisely and generously — helping his neighbors, caring for his family, and never once taking more than he needed. When the thieves later tried to track him down for revenge, it was Ali Baba's clever and loyal servant, Morgiana, who outwitted them at every turn and kept the family safe. And so, my darling, Ali Baba lived a long, comfortable life — not because he was the boldest or the richest, but because, unlike his brother, he never let treasure make him greedy.