🧚 The Story of the Three Thieves. · page 2

So saying the Herald retired, and the public audience began.49 When the three Thieves were admitted to the Emperor’s presence, they went in together and made a simultaneous obeisance before the Emperor’s throne.50

“Who are you three men?” asked the Emperor, “and what do you want from me?”51

“May it please Your Majesty,” replied the first Thief, “I have ventured to bring a small gift for you.”52

And so saying he took from his wallet the pea-hen’s eggs, and laid them on the throne.53

When the Emperor heard that these were his pea-hen’s eggs he was very much pleased, and gave orders that they should at once be taken back to the nest, and the hatching continued; and telling the first Thief to stand back, he enquired of the second what he wished to say.54

“May it please Your Majesty,” replied the second Thief, “I also have a small gift to make to you.”55

And so saying he took the soles of the Prime Minister’s boots out of his wallet and laid them on the steps of the throne.56

When the Emperor found that these were the soles of his Prime Minister’s boots, and how they had been removed, he was very much amused, and laughed heartily.57 He at once sent orders for his Prime Minister to be released, and handed over to him the soles of his boots, and told him to watch them more carefully for the future.58 The Prime Minister was delighted at being reinstated in the royal favour, and expressed his gratitude to the Thief for his services in the matter.59

When the third Thief was asked what he had to say he replied:60

“I, too, have a small gift for Your Majesty.”61

And so saying he produced a plate from his wallet, and laid upon it the various viands which had been cooked for the Emperor’s dinner the previous day.62

When the Emperor understood that this was the dinner which had been prepared for him, and which he ought to have eaten, he was greatly astonished; but seeing that it was no fault of his Cooks, Chamberlains, or other servants, he ordered them all to be released, and to resume their former functions.63

Having issued these various commands, the Emperor again summoned the three Thieves before him, and addressed them as follows:64

“Although,” said he, “I am very pleased at finding such a satisfactory explanation for the disappearance of the eggs, the misdemeanour of my Prime Minister, and the insufficiency of my dinner, I cannot overlook the fact that you three men have behaved in a very unusual manner.65 So before rewarding you in accordance with my promise, I desire to put your skill to a further test.66 If you succeed in this trial to my satisfaction you shall all three be well rewarded, and receive rank and lands in my country; but if you fail, you must take the consequences of your rashness, and you shall all three be put to death.”67

When the three Thieves heard these words they were greatly frightened, and bowing down before the Emperor they awaited his commands.68

“The test which I have in store for you,” continued the Emperor, “is as follows: you must know that in my Treasury I have a great number of jewels and precious objects of all kinds; and the Treasury is enclosed within a treble wall ten fathoms in height, closed by iron gates, and is guarded night and day by companies of my most faithful soldiers.69 If you can produce, before six o’clock to-morrow evening, three of the pearls from my Treasury, you shall be pardoned and rewarded; but if you fail to do so, you shall all three be put to death.”70

On hearing these words the three thieves consulted together for a few moments, and replied as follows:71

“We will do our best to carry out Your Majesty’s commands and to succeed in this test which you have given us, but we would call your royal attention to one matter; it is this: supposing we produce before to-morrow evening three pearls as you command, how shall we be able to satisfy you that they come from the Royal Treasury?72 All pearls look very much alike, and it would be impossible for us to prove to you whence they came.73 We would, therefore, venture to suggest that, before putting us to this test, you should have a complete enumeration made of all the jewels in your Treasury; then, when we produce the three pearls in question, it will be easy to ascertain whether there are in the Treasury three pearls less than there were when the enumeration was made.”74

The Emperor, seeing that this was a reasonable request, agreed to act as the Thieves had suggested.75 So summoning his Treasurer before him, he gave orders that a complete enumeration of all the jewels and other precious objects in his Treasury should be made before nightfall that evening; and having issued his commands he dismissed the audience.76

The Chief Treasurer was much perturbed on receiving these orders, for owing to the enormous quantity of jewels and other objects in the Treasury, he foresaw that it would be a difficult matter to have the enumeration complete before evening.77 The only way in which it could be done was to call in the assistance of all the officials of the palace, and having allotted a section of the Treasure Chamber to each, to order them to make a complete inventory each of his own part.78 Accordingly, he called together all the officials of the palace to the number of many hundreds, and they proceeded in a body to the Royal Treasury.79 The three Thieves, who had anticipated this action on the part of the Treasurer, meanwhile dressed themselves up in the complete robes which are proper for a palace official, and mingling unnoticed in the crowd, they followed the Treasurer to the gates of the Royal Treasury.80 By the Treasurer’s orders, the gates were at once thrown open, and the officials, entering the treasury, began the enumeration.81 The three thieves, in common with the rest, were allotted each a section of the Treasury Chamber, of which they were to make a complete inventory, and whilst so employed they had no difficulty in each one secreting a large pearl after first placing it upon their list.82 By nightfall the enumeration was complete, the lists were all handed over to the Chief Treasurer, and the Treasury was left locked and guarded as before.83

Next day, at six o’clock, the Emperor seated himself in his Hall of Audience, and summoned the three Thieves before him.84

“Well,” said he, “have you been able to fulfil the conditions which I set you?85 If you can now produce three pearls from my Treasury, you shall be rewarded in accordance with my promise; but if you are unable to do so, you shall all three be put to death.”86

The Thieves bowed themselves humbly before the Emperor, and without making any reply each one produced a pearl and laid it on the steps of the throne.87 When the Emperor saw these pearls he was much astonished; but in order to make certain that they came from his own Treasury, he summoned his Chief Treasurer before him, and ordered him to compare the jewels in the Treasury with the inventory which had been made on the previous evening.88 The Treasurer hurried off to do so, and after a short while he reappeared, and informed the Emperor that, having carefully counted all the jewels, and having compared the numbers in the Treasury with the numbers on the inventory, he found that three pearls were indeed missing.89

On hearing this the Emperor no longer hesitated in fulfilling his promise to the three Thieves.90 He raised them at once to high rank, and presented them with lands and money sufficient to uphold their new status, and they lived happily ever afterwards, enjoying the confidence of the Emperor and the friendship of the numerous officials whom they had saved from imprisonment and death.91