thieves had spoken two words to close the magic door.

Ali Baba decided that he should shut the magic door too. It would not be a good idea for anyone else to see the entrance to the cave of treasure.

‘Close Sesame!’ he cried, and the magic door slid shut.

After that, Ali Baba crept down the stone steps until he reached the treasure cave. He gazed all around in amazement. There were thousands of sparkling jewels in great heaps: diamonds, rubies, emeralds and every other sort of precious gem. Then there was gold! Ali Baba’s eyes grew wide in wonder when he saw the vast piles of gold coins.

However, Ali Baba was not greedy. He didn’t want the diamonds, or the rubies or the emeralds. Although Ali Baba was a poor man, he had no desire to take all the gold coins. He wanted just one little gold coin. It would be enough to buy food for himself and his family.