Kasim's Death - a Tale from Alf Layla

We have heard a lot about the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. If we are familiar, then we must also be familiar with Kasim, Ali Baba's greedy brother. Kasim is driven by his desire to possess the treasures stored behind the magical cave, a hideout of the thieves.

My poem describes Ali Baba, when he is carrying back his brother's body from the caves. When he found Kasim lying dead...what did he think about? What did he feel?

In the darkness of the night,

Ali walks out with a cry,

He curses himself,

“Why did Kasim die?”

It wouldn’t have happened, if he didn’t go in search for the treasure,

If only he could resist his individual pleasure,

And also the reason that a balance was borrowed,

But little did he know that on it, death was what rode.

The leader must have come when his anger broke,

And cut Kasim into half with a flurry of strokes,

Kasim must have cried, cried for his life,

Now who, I ask who? Will take care of his wife?

It all started the day he went to the woods,

Searching for food and all necessary goods,

He heard a sound, the sound of horse’s hooves,

He mistook them to be the call of the wolves,

Soon came the leader, with his swinging robe,

Ali sat behind the rock, avoiding a probe,

The robber raised his arms and said, “Open Sesame.”

Ali thought that “if he can say it, then why not me?”

Ali too said “Open Sesame,”

And the cave doors opened,

To reveal great treasure,

And he followed suit and took some to measure.

He returned home to find Fatima sleeping,

A few months back, for gold she was weeping,

She would never ever have do that from now on,

Their son would have a silver spoon, from the time he was born;

Then came the day when Kasim marched up to Ali’s house,

His voice was such, that it scurried away the mouse,

He asked Ali, why he looked tired,

“What is the word?” was the question he fired;

Kasim declared that he too would be rich,

Ali agreed as he didn’t want a hitch,

A hitch with his brother, was what Ali didn’t want,

But he didn’t know that a few days later, Kasim’s death was what would haunt;

Haunt Ali and his family,

When Kasim would be made to bleed and bleed,

Only one man responsible for that,

‘Kasim and his greed’;

Zubeida came to Ali, crying for help,

Since by now, Kasim was rich…Ali had expected a yelp,

She wept and said that Kasim hasn’t returned home,

Ali suggested that forest is the place where Kasim might roam;

Zubeida said that she was in need,

Deep within Ali knew that Kasim was blinded by greed,

The level of his greed almost touched the sky,

Ali had feared the worst; it was time for Kasim to die;

Ali found Kasim dismembered in four,

Kasim must have forgotten the word, as for gold he craved more and more,

Ali carried his brother’s body back with a cry,

Cursing himself again and again,

“Why did I let Kasim die?”