Chapter TwoThe forty thieves
Response Notes
Meanwhile, the robbers returned to their cave.
They soon realized that the body was gone.
“Someone knows our secret,” cried the captain.
“I will go into town,” said one robber, “and find a clue.”1
By accident, the robber met Mustapha in town.
Mustapha told him that he sewed up a dead body.2
“Show me where you did the sewing,” said the robber.
“My eyes were covered,” explained Mustapha.
“So I don’t know where the house is.”
The robber decided to blindfold Mustapha again.3
Finally, Mustapha was able to find the house.
The robber put an ‘X’ on the door with chalk.4
Then he returned to his friends.
Key Words
meanwhile (adv): trong khi ấy
realize (v): nhận thấy
clue (n): manh mối
by accident (adv): tình cờ
sewing (n): việc may vá
cover (v): che, bịt kín
blindfold (v): bịt mắt
be able to (v): có thể
chalk (n): viên phấn
Key Sentences
1 “I will go into town,”said one robber, “and find a clue.”
2 Mustapha told him that he sewed up a dead body. .
3 The robber decided to blindfold Mustapha again.
4 The robber put an ‘X’ on the door with chalk.
Shortly after, Morgiana saw the mark on the door.
“What is this mark?” she thought to herself.
She feared that something bad might happen.1
Therefore, she marked all the doors on both sides of the street with the same “X”.2
Meanwhile, the robber had reported his success.
“We will all go into town,” ordered the captain.
The robber took the captain to Ali Baba’s street.
The captain quickly noticed that all the doors had been marked.3
“We have been tricked,” said the captain.
“I will go myself.”
He brought Mustapha and asked him to do the same thing as he did for the robber.4
Finally, he found Ali Baba’s house.
Check up
Based on the story, write down “T” if true or “F” if false.
a. The captain was tricked by the tailor. ____
b. Morgiana marked all the doors on the street. ____
Key Words & Sentences
shortly after (adv): không lâu ngay sau đó
mark (n): dấu, vết
think to oneself (v): thầm nghĩ
fear (v): lo sợ
street (n): con đường
same (adj): giống nhau
report (v): báo cáo
success (n): thành quả
notice (v): để ý thấy
trick (v): lừa
1 She feared that something bad might happen.
2 Therefore, she marked all the doors on both sides of the street with the same ‘X’.
3 The captain quickly noticed that all the doors had been marked.
4 He brought Mustapha and asked him to do the same thing as he did for the robber.
The captain ordered his men to buy twenty mules and forty oil-jars.1
“Fill one oil-jar, and leave the rest empty,” he said.
He put a man in each of the empty jars
and loaded them onto the mules.2
“We’ll go to town before it gets dark,” he told them.
He took his mules to Ali Baba’s house.
“I’m an oil merchant,” he said.
“I could not find a place to stay.”
“You can leave your mules in my yard,”3 said Ali Baba. “And you can sleep in my house.”
The captain unloaded the jars in the yard.
“When you hear me whistle,” he whispered to each man, “you must come out of the jar.”4
Key Words
men (n): tay chân, thuộc hạ
oil (n): dầu
jar (n): vại
fill (v): đổ đầy
the rest (n): còn lại
empty (adj): để trống
get dark: trở nên tối tăm
merchant (n): thương buôn
yard (n): khoảnh sân
unload (v): dỡ xuống
whistle (v): huýt sáo
whisper (v): nói thầm
Key Sentences
1 The captain ordered his men to buy twenty mules and forty oil-jars.
2 He put a man in each of the empty jars and loaded them onto the mules.
3 You can leave your mules in my yard.
4 “When you hear me whistle,”he whispered to his each man, “you must come out of the jar.”
Morgiana just happened to need some oil.
She thought she could take a little from one of the jars.1
In the yard, she heard a man’s voice softly say, “Is it time?”2
It was from one of the jars.
She was shocked, but she kept herself cool.
“Not yet, but soon,” she whispered back.
“Ali Baba is in danger,” she thought.
She filled a huge kettle with oil.
She set it on fire, and the oil began boiling.3
Then she poured the oil into each jar.
It killed each robber inside.
After that, she went back to her room.
She watched out her window to see what would happen next.4
Check up
How did Morgiana kill the robbers?
She poured h o into the jars.
Key Words
happen to (v): tình cờ xảy ra,
ngẫu nhiên xảy đến
voice (n): giọng nói
softly (adv): một cách dịu dàng,
một cách êm ái
shocked (adj): kinh ngạc
cool (adj): bình tĩnh
in danger (n): đang gặp nguy hiểm
fill A with B (v): đổ đầy A bằng B
huge (adj): lớn
kettle (n): ấm đun nước
set (v): bật lên, đặt
(set - set - set)
boil (v): đun sôi
pour (v): đổ, rót
next (adj): tiếp theo
Key Sentences
1 She thought she could take a little from one of the jars.
2 In the yard, she heard a man’s voice softly say, “Is it time?”
3 She set it on fire and the oil began boiling.
4 She watched out her window to see what would happen next.
A few minutes later, the captain opened his window.
He threw stones at the jars.
Nothing happened.1
He was very surprised.
He went outside and found all his men dead.
He immediately went back to his cave.
Morgiana saw the captain run away.
She was so happy that she had saved Ali Baba’s family.2
The next morning, she told Ali Baba what happened.
Back in the cave, the captain promised himself that he would have revenge.3
He changed his appearance and went to town.
He rented a warehouse.
He filled it with silks and other stuff.
He told the townspeople that he was a merchant and his name was Cogia Hassan.
Key Words
throw (v): ném, chọi
(throw - threw - thrown)
stone (n): viên đá
run away (v): bỏ chạy
(run - ran - run)
save (v): cứu lấy
have revenge: trả thù
appearance (n): diện mạo
rent (v): thuê, mướn
warehouse (n) (từ cổ): cửa hàng
stuff (n): thứ, món, đồ đạc
townspeople (n): người dân thành thị
Key Sentences
1 He threw stones at the jars. Nothing happened.
2 She was so happy that she had saved Ail Baba’s family.
3 Back in the cave, the captain promised himself that he would have revenge.
Ali Baba had a son who was also a merchant.
His warehouse was close to Cogia Hassan’s.
The captain knew this and became friends with the son.
One day, the son invited Cogia Hassan to his house to eat dinner.1
Cogia Hassan went to Ali Baba’s house.
He carried a knife under his shirt.
At dinner, he wouldn’t eat any salt.
At that time in Persia,
there was a custom.
It was considered wrong to kill a man after sharing salt.2
Morgiana noticed that their guest wouldn’t eat any salt.
“I’m sure this is the oil merchant,” she thought to herself.
She knew she had to protect Ali Baba.3
Check up
What is true about the story?
a. Ali Baba’s son and Hassan became friends.
b. Hassan hid poison in his clothes.
c. Morgiana gave Hassan salt on purpose.
Key Words & Sentences
close to (prep): gần với
invite (v): mời
at that time (adv): vào thời đó
custom (n): phong tục
be considered (v): được xem là
share (v): chia sẻ
guest (n): vị khách mời
be sure (adj): chắc chắn
have to (v): phải
protect (v): bảo vệ
1 One day, the son invited Cogia Hassan to his house to eat dinner.
2 It was considered wrong to kill a man after sharing salt.
3 She knew she had to protect Ali Baba.
Morgiana was a great dancer.
She often danced for the guests.
After the meal, she came to give a performance.
She had a tambourine in one hand and a knife in the other.
She would place the knife on the chest of each man.1
She pretended that this was part of the dance.
But when she got to Cogia Hassan, she stuck the knife in his chest.2
He fell dead to the ground.
“What are you doing!” cried Ali Baba.
“This is the oil merchant,” explained Morgiana. “He planned on killing you.”
She opened his shirt and showed Ali Baba his knife.3
“You saved my life,” said Ali Baba.
He could not thank her enough.
After a while, Ali Baba’s son married Morgiana.
They all lived long, peaceful lives.
Check up
Why did Morgiana place the knife on each man’s chest?
To pretend to _____________ and kill Hassan.
Key Words
dancer (n): vũ công
meal (n): bữa ăn
performance (n): biểu diễn
tambourine (n): trống lục lạc
place (n): đặt
chest (n): ngực
pretend (v): giả vờ
plan on (v): có ý định
(plan - planned - planned)
life (n): mạng sống
thank (v): cám ơn
peaceful (adj): bình yên
Key Sentences
1 She would place the knife on the chest of each man.
2 But when she got to Cogia Hassan, she stuck the knife in his chest.
3 She opened his shirt and showed Ali Baba his knife.
Comprehension Quiz
A. Based on the story, mark “T” if true or “F” if false.
1. Ali Baba marked an ‘X’ on all the houses. T...F
2. The captain finally found Ali Baba’s house. T...F
3. The thieves hid in the oil-jars. T...F
4. Ali Baba killed all the robbers. T...F
5. Ali Baba married Morgiana because she saved his life. T...F
B. Rewrite the following sentences in the indirect narration.
1. He said, “I am your uncle.”
_________________________
2. He said that he was his uncle.
_________________________
3. Ali baba said, “She will see some gold.”
_________________________
4. He said, “We should keep this.”
_________________________
5. She said, “I want him to bring the merchant.”
_________________________
C. Choose the correct answers to the questions.
1. What did Ali Baba’s son do?
(a) He was a tree cutter.
(b) He was a merchant.
(c) He was a robber.
2. How did Morgiana kill the captain?
(a) She poured boiling oil on him.
(b) She poisoned him.
(c) She stabbed him.
D. Put the sentences in order.
1. The captain rented a warehouse in town.
2. The robber placed an ‘X’ on Ali Baba’s house.
3. The robbers discovered the body was missing.
4. Ali Baba’s son invited Hassan to dinner.
5. The captain pretended to be an oil merchant.