Once upon a time, in a town in Persia, there lived two brothers, Ali Baba and Cassim. Cassim was wealthy and greedy, while Ali Baba was a poor but kind woodcutter. Ali Baba lived humbly with his wife, cutting and selling wood to make a living. One day, while in the forest, he saw a large group of men on horseback approaching. Fearing for his safety, he climbed a tree to hide. From his perch, Ali Baba watched as the men, who were actually a band of forty thieves, dismounted their horses. They stood before a large rock, and the leader of the thieves called out, 'Open Sesame!' To Ali Baba's amazement, the rock magically rolled away, revealing a cave entrance. The thieves carried heavy sacks into the cave, which Ali Baba guessed were filled with stolen treasure. After some time, the thieves emerged from the cave, and their leader commanded, 'Close Sesame!' The rock rolled back into place, hiding the entrance once again. The thieves mounted their horses and rode off into the distance. When the coast was clear, Ali Baba climbed down from the tree. Curious and eager to see what was inside the cave, he approached the rock and repeated the magic words he had overheard, 'Open Sesame!' To his delight, the rock moved aside, and he entered the cave. Inside, he found heaps of gold coins, precious jewels, and countless treasures. Overwhelmed by the riches before him, Ali Baba took a few bags of gold and hurried back home. Ali Baba's wife was overjoyed to see the gold and insisted they borrow a scale from Cassim to measure their newfound wealth. Cassim's wife, suspicious of their sudden fortune, secretly smeared wax on the bottom of the scale. When the scale was returned, a gold coin stuck to the wax, revealing Ali Baba's secret. Cassim, filled with envy and greed, demanded that Ali Baba reveal the source of the gold. Reluctantly, Ali Baba told him about the thieves' cave. Cassim wasted no time and went to the cave, determined to take as much treasure as he could. He stood before the rock and commanded, 'Open Sesame!' The entrance opened, and Cassim eagerly entered the cave.