the tailor “Make haste and sew a shroud according to the size of this dead man and I will give thee therefor yet another ducat.”  Baba Mustafa quickly made the cerecloth of fitting length and breadth, and Morgiana paid him the promised Ashrafi; then once more bandaging his eyes led him back to the place whence she had brought him.  After this she returned hurriedly home and with the help of Ali Baba washed the body in warm water and donning the shroud lay the corpse upon a clean place ready for burial.  This done Morgiana went to the mosque and gave notice to an Imam[FN#299] that a funeral was awaiting the mourners in a certain household, and prayed that he would come to read the prayers for the dead; and the Imam went back with her.  Then four neighbours took up the bier[FN#300] and bore it on their shoulders and fared forth with the Imam and others who were wont to give assistance at such obsequies.  After the funeral prayers were ended four other men carried off the coffin; and Morgiana walked before it bare of head, striking her breast and weeping and wailing with exceeding loud lament, whilst Ali Baba and the neighbours came behind.  In such order they entered the cemetery and buried him; then, leaving him to Munkar and Nakir[FN#301] the Questioners of the Dead all wended their ways.  Presently the women of the quarter, according to the custom of the city, gathered together in the house of mourning and sat an hour with Kasim’s widow comforting and condoling, presently leaving her somewhat resigned and cheered.  Ali Baba stayed forty days at home in ceremonial lamentation for the loss of his brother; so none within the town save himself and his wife (Kasim’s widow) and Morgiana knew aught about the secret.  And when the forty days of mourning were ended Ali Baba removed to his own quarters all the property belonging to the deceased and openly married the widow; then he appointed his nephew, his brother’s eldest son, who had lived a long time with a wealthy merchant and was perfect of knowledge in all matters of trade, such as selling and buying, to take charge of the defunct’s shop and to carry on the business.—­And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till

        The end of the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night,

Then said she:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, it so chanced one day when the robbers, as was their wont, came to the treasure-cave that they marvelled exceedingly to find nor sign nor trace of Kasim’s body whilst they observed that much of gold had been carried off.  Quoth the Captain, “Now it behoveth us to make enquiry in this matter; else shall we suffer much of loss and this our treasure, which we and our forefathers have amassed during the course of many years, will little by little be wasted and spoiled.”  Hereto all assented and with single mind agreed that he whom they had slain had knowledge of the magical words whereby the door was made to open; moreover that some one beside him had cognizance