Ali Baba: the characters

Ali Baba

A village boy

Ali Baba is eight or nine years old, the kind of child who already knows where to find the best mushrooms after a damp night. He lives at the edge of the forest with his sister Marjana. He is curious in a way that has not yet cost him anything, and he has good ears — good enough to remember a phrase spoken once, by a man he should never have been close enough to hear.

Appearance. A small, slight boy. Dust-coloured tunic, leather sandals. Wide watchful eyes that do not quite hide what he is thinking.

Personality. Curious, observant, careful. Honest enough to take only a pouch of coins when he could have taken more. Young enough to forget that walls have boys behind them.

“I took only a few. They will not even notice.”

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue

Marjana

Ali Baba's sister

Marjana is a few years older than Ali Baba — old enough to be cautious, young enough to listen wide-eyed when her brother comes through the door breathing too fast. She is the one he trusts. She is also the one who will have to live with what happens after he tells her.

Appearance. Twelve or thirteen, dark hair tied back, simple village dress. A mark of soot on one cheek from the morning fire she was tending when he ran in.

Personality. Quieter than her brother, sharper-eyed. Believes him immediately. Tells him to go back to bed; he does not.

“Don't tell anyone else. Not yet. Promise me.”

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue

Waleed

The neighbor's boy

Waleed lives two doors down from Ali Baba. He is the same age, but louder, hungrier, the kind of boy who has been told no too many times to start listening now. When he hears Ali Baba's whispered story through the wall, he does not tell his parents. He waits for the house to sleep, slips out before sunrise, and walks to the cave alone.

Appearance. Small, sharp-faced, hair always sticking up at the back. A patched coat too big for him. Dust on his knees.

Personality. Bold, restless, half-starved for something he cannot name. Cleverer than people give him credit for. Not as careful as he thinks.

“If he can do it, I can do it.”

Appears in: Ali Baba

Thieves Leader

Leader of the riders

The leader has hidden a fortune in a cave for years and never lost a coin to it. He returns one morning to find a small footprint that does not belong to anyone in his band — and that night, finds a different kind of small thing inside the cave entirely.

Appearance. Hooded, dark-bearded, scarred along the jaw. Riding leathers worn soft. A patient, unhurried way of moving.

Personality. Calm. Methodical. The kind of dangerous that does not need to shout.

“Look at me, boy. Where did you hear those words?”

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue

Thief 1

Rider in the band

He has ridden with the band longer than most. He does not ask questions — that's the leader's job — but he sees everything that crosses the cave mouth.

Appearance. Hooded, lean, dark cloth wrapped to the eyes. A short curved blade at the belt.

Personality. Cold, alert, the first to notice a footprint that doesn't belong.

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue

Thief 2

Rider in the band

He is the brawn of the band. He carries the heaviest of the loot, says little, and watches the horizon while the others work the cave.

Appearance. Broad-shouldered, scarred at the brow. A heavier cloak, a heavier blade.

Personality. Stoic, dependable, keeps his thoughts to himself.

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue

Thief 3

Rider in the band

He has ridden with the band for less than a year. He is the one who first hears something move in the bushes when they ride home — and the one the leader sends to check.

Appearance. Slight, sharp-eyed, hood pulled close. A whetted blade he keeps sharper than necessary.

Personality. Impulsive, hungry, the kind who will do anything for a nod from the leader.

Appears in: Ali Baba, Ali Baba and the Rescue