Then the trader said, "For one plate it is seven tuttu (quarter
panams); for two plates give me fourteen tuttu (= three and a half
panams).
After that, the youth says, "Mudalali, are you trying to cheat me? You
cannot cheat me. I will not give fourteen tuttu; also I did not bring
fourteen tuttu. Mother gave me eight panams. [54] For the eight panams
she told me to get two plates. If you will give them for the eight
panams, give me two plates."
Having said this, and given the eight panams to the trader, while
he was coming away, taking the two plates, he met with a gang of
thieves. Having met with them, they asked at the hand of the youth,
"Where did you go?"
Then the youth says, "Having told me to go to the shop to bring
two plates, mother gave me eight panams. Taking them, and going to
the shop, I asked the price for plates. Well then, the man tried to
cheat me. For the two plates he told me to give fourteen tuttu. Also
in my hand there were not fourteen tuttu; it was eight panams that I
took. Having given the eight panams I am taking home these two plates."
Then the men said, "If so, don't you go home. We are going to break
[into] a house; come, and go for that."
Afterwards the youth, having said "Ha," went with the thieves to break
[into] the house. Having gone there and bored a hole through the wall,
the thieves said to the youth who went for plates, "Go inside the
house and put out into the light both all the things which you can
lift and [the things] which you cannot lift. We will take them."
After that, the youth, having crept into the house, put out all the
things which the youth could lift. Having put them out, the youth
could not lift the stone on which coconut was ground.
The man who owned the house was sleeping, placing his head on the
stone. The youth having shaken the man's body, awoke him. "Get up
quickly. To take this stone outside I cannot lift it alone. Take hold
of this a little in order to get it out," he said.
The man having awoke at once, and seized and tied the youth, caught
part of those men; part of them ran off.
The thieves who were caught, and the youth, and the man who owned the
house, all went for the trial. As they were going on the road, says
the youth, "I am not a thief at all. Our mother gave me eight panams
to bring two plates from the shop. Having gone to the shop I asked the
price for plates. The man tried to cheat me; for two plates he asked
fourteen tuttu. I did not give them; also in my hand there were not
fourteen tuttu. I only gave eight panams, and taking the two plates,
as I was going away I met with these men. Then the men said to me,
'Where did you go?' they asked. 'I went to the shop to get two plates,'
I said. Then the men said, 'If so, don't go home. We are going to
break [into] a house; you come too.' So I came. Having come there,
the men bored a hole through the wall, and said to me, 'Creep you
into this. Put outside the things you can lift and the things you
can't.' I afterwards crept into the house, and put outside those I
could lift. I tried to lift the stone on which your head was placed
while you were sleeping. I couldn't lift it, so in order to get it
out I awoke you. Well then, so much is my fault; I am not a thief. Now
then, if you are going to put me in prison, put me in prison."
After that the man said, "I will not put you in prison; doing the
work that I tell you, you can stay with me."