Story 60 - The Two Thieves

TWO thieves at Cairo were in love with the same girl, who promised to marry the one who showed the greatest cleverness.

The first one assisted a rich merchant in purchasing some cattle, and eventually purloined a bag of money which the merchant was carrying in the large pocket in the front of his gown, and put a similar bag in its place containing an orange or two.

The theft was discovered when the merchant was about to pay the money for the cattle. The robber assumed the role of the sympathising friend, and suggested that a mistake might have been made by the merchant’s wife, and the wrong bag given to him.

The merchant went home to inquire about it, and on his return the robber ran up to him, and embraced and kissed him, saying,

“Hallo, Friend! I am very glad to see you again. I hope you have succeeded in finding your money.”

As he said this he put back the purse, and took the bag of oranges.

The merchant replied,

“I hope God will hear what you say.”

The thief said,

“You are playing me a trick; put your hand in your pocket, and feel if your purse is not there.”

So he put his hand in his breast pocket, and found his bag of money there. The thief explained the matter, and requested him to relate the particulars to the girl, who then decided that she would marry this thief.

I give the rest of the story in full, as it was dictated to me :—

The second thief said,

“ Oh ! that is nothing. I can play a better trick than that. Will you be kind enough to come to-morrow morning to the Government offices to see me ? ”

The merchant man said,

“I also will come to see the trick.”

. Then the merchant went away, and the three remained there till evening.

After dinner, the second robber went out to the cafe to spend the time, and there he met one of the higher class people. The robber said,

“Salam,”

and sat down next this merchant. They both smoked hashish together, and the' thief told him,

“I have just arrived from outside the city. The four gates are now shut, and I cannot return. I do not know where to go to sleep.”

The merchant told him,

“Don’t you feel ashamed to say that to me when you know what size my house is ?”

The robber said,

“Thank you for the favour,”

and at the end of their smoke they went together to the merchant’s house. When the two entered, lights were put in the writing room, with two beds for them, so that they might sleep together there.

While the merchant was fast asleep and snoring, the robber awoke, and took the key of the money-box and the seal from the merchant’s pocket, opened the box, counted the money, wrote a promissory note giving the amount of each kind of money, signed it with the merchant’s seal, and put all back again as before, keeping the note. He then went to sleep again.

Next morning they breakfasted together, becoming very friendly, and the robber said,

“Please can you lend me your horse and a clean suit of clothes, because I must go to report a person to the Government ?”

So the merchant gave him a clean suit and a horse, and told him,

“You can change your clothes and wash here. I must go to my office.”

He then left.

The robber put on the clothes, and rode off to the Government office, and explained his case, and asked for a man to be sent to fetch the merchant, as he had to recover a large sum of money from him. The Chief of the Police sent a man to call him.

When the merchant came, the Chief of the Police asked him,

“Why don’t you pay this gentleman the money you owe him ?”

He says,

“Which gentleman ?”

“This gentleman,”

said the Chief of the Police, pointing to the robber.

“This one !”

“Yes, I am the one,”

said the robber.

The merchant said,

“Don’t you feel ashamed at saying I owe you some money ?”

“Of course,” he replied, and then he took out the promissory note, and handed it to the Chief of the Police.

The Chief of the Police looked at it, and said,

“Hallo 1 That is a big amount.”

The merchant asked to see it, and he looked at the list, and said,

“I have not got so much money in my box. If I have so much in my house it must really be yours.”

The Chief of the Police sent some men to bring the box to the station, and on counting the money in it, he found it was exactly the amount written in the promissory note. The woman, and the other robber, and the merchant who was tricked on the previous day were all present and listening, and were all astonished.

The Chief of the Police said,

“Well, it must be the claimant’s money,”

and he gave it to him.

The merchant was angry, so the robber said,

“I suppose you will be saying next that the horse is yours, and the suit I am wearing”;

and when the merchant angrily demanded them the robber requested the Chief of the Police to lock the man up, because he was now trying to steal his horse and clothes.

Then the merchant was locked up, and the robber left the money in the box at the Police Station, and rode off to his own home, where he met the woman and the first robber. He asked them,

“How do you like that trick ?”

She said,

“A very clever man you are,”

and she agreed to marry him.

After three days they both went to the merchant, and told him the whole story, and returned him the money, and the horse and clothes. And the merchant was so pleased to get them back that he gave them some money to live upon.

 

Note:

In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 297 ff., two thieves had one wife, who agreed that she should belong only to the one who brought her the most valuable spoil in two days. The King executed her, as being the instigator of the robberies they committed.