The magician threw on the fire a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by.
This strange man was no uncle of Aladdin, nor was he related at all to him; but he was a wicked magician, who wanted to make use of the lad's services.
The forty thieves carried bags of treasure, and hid it in a cave, which opened for them in the solid rock on saying the words, ‘Open, Sesame.’
On the stone, at the dead hour of the night, might be discerned a female figure wrapped in a grey cloak. She was incessantly knock, knock, knocking, in a fruitless endeavour to split the impenetrable rock.
The bear came every evening at the same time, laid himself down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves with him as much as they liked.
Then, as Bebeck rounded the crag, he beheld a dark opening, within which he could hear a dreadful snarling and barking going on.
‘I once heard the old people say that behind the village, near the dark forest, there is buried a treasure, yes, a great treasure, but it is buried under a large, heavy stone, too heavy a stone for one man to move.’