Once upon a time there lived within the dominions of the Emperor of
China three very clever Thieves. These men, owing to their skill and
cunning, were quite at the head of their profession, and by sleight of
hand and dexterity were able to accomplish feats of trickery which the
ordinary thieves could not emulate. The first was so clever that he was
able to withdraw eggs from under a sitting hen without in any way
disturbing her, and without her being aware that the theft had been
accomplished. The second was able to cut the soles off a man’s boots as
he walked along the road without the victim knowing that he had been
robbed. And the third was able to eat his fill off a man’s plate during
dinner without the man who was robbed, or his friend opposite, being
able to detect where the victuals had gone to.
Now it happened one day that these three Thieves met together in a
country inn, and entering into conversation with one another, began to
exchange confidences.
“May I ask what you do for a living?” asked the first Thief of the
second.
“Oh, I am a Thief,” answered the man who was addressed.
“Very good,” replied the other men, “we also are Thieves. Can you tell
us, please, if there is any particular line in which you excel?”
“Yes,” said the second Thief; “I am able to cut the soles off a man’s
boots as he walks across the road without his being aware of what has
happened. What can you two do, pray?”
“I,” replied the first Thief, “can withdraw the eggs from under a
sitting hen without disturbing her.”
“And I,” said the third, “can steal another man’s dinner from off his
plate, and eat my fill as he sits at table, without the victim, or the
man sitting opposite, being able to detect me.”
So the three Thieves, having struck up a friendship on the ground of
their unusual skill, set off together to the court of the Emperor of
China, in order to see whether they could not succeed in making their
fortunes there.
On arriving at the court they consulted together and came to the
conclusion that in order to make any headway in China it was necessary
to attract the attention of the Emperor. So they agreed to separate for
twenty-four hours, and to meet next day in the courtyard of the palace,
each bringing some gift to the Emperor which would please him, and
prove to him that they were men of no usual calibre. Accordingly, they
parted in different directions, and the following day at noon, they met
together in the courtyard of the palace, and each one proceeded to
relate his adventures during the preceding twenty-four hours.
“As soon as I left you yesterday,” began the first Thief, “I went into
the royal farm adjoining the palace, and there I found one of the
Emperor’s pea-hens sitting upon her nest, and hatching a clutch of
eggs, which was calculated to produce a breed of the very finest
peacocks. By the Emperor’s orders this nest was watched by an attendant
night and day, in order that no one should interfere with the eggs, and
the pea-hen herself was so cross that she would not allow anyone to
approach her except the man who fed her. But such obstacles as these
were nothing to me, and I had no difficulty in evading the watchers and
abstracting the eggs from under the hen, without even disturbing her,
or her being aware of the loss. Now here they are in my wallet, and
when the loss is discovered presently, as it is sure to be, and a
reward offered for their discovery, I propose to present them to the
Emperor.”
The other two Thieves applauded their comrade for his skill and
ingenuity, and the second Thief then proceeded to relate his story as
follows:
“When we separated yesterday, I at once entered the Emperor’s
antechamber, and mingled with the nobles and officials who were
awaiting an audience with His Majesty, and amongst the others I soon
noticed the Prime Minister. He was a very stout man, dressed in his
finest robes, and with a new pair of boots on his feet. As he passed to
and fro in the crowd, I succeeded in cutting the soles off his new
boots without his having any idea of what had happened. Shortly
afterwards he was summoned to the Emperor’s presence, and when he knelt
down to kow-tow before His Majesty, it was observed that he had no
soles to his boots. The Emperor, thinking that the Minister had
committed this serious breach of etiquette on purpose, fell into a
violent passion, and ordered him to be imprisoned at once. It was no
use for the wretched man to protest his innocence or to plead for
mercy. The Emperor’s orders are that, unless a satisfactory explanation
is given to him before six o’clock this evening and the missing soles
produced, the Minister is to be beheaded. Here are the soles of the
Prime Minister’s boots in my wallet, and I propose to present them to
His Majesty this afternoon during his public audience. I shall thus
earn the gratitude of the Prime Minister and appease the wrath of the
Emperor.”
The other two Thieves, on hearing this story, congratulated their
comrade on his successful manœuvre, and the third Thief proceeded to
relate his adventures as follows:
“When we parted yesterday,” said he, “I entered the palace, and after
wandering about for some time I found myself in the chamber where the
Emperor’s dinner was being prepared, and where all the chief officials
of the palace were assembled to superintend the arrangements for the
royal meal. There were the Head Chamberlain and the Under Chamberlains,
the Head Usher and the Under Ushers, the Head Waiter and the Under
Waiters, and many other officials of minor degree. I mingled with the
servants, who were standing about, without attracting any attention,
and remained in the room until the Emperor himself entered and seated
himself with great ceremony to partake of his mid-day meal. The Chief
Cook and the Chief Chamberlain placed themselves in front of the
Emperor, in order to see that the service of his food was properly
conducted, whilst the other high officials took their stand on either
side of his chair and assisted in bringing in the dishes. In spite of
all these precautions, however, I was able by my skill to take the food
from each dish as it was placed upon the table, before the Emperor had
time to partake of more than a very few mouthfuls. As the meal
proceeded the Emperor grew more and more annoyed, and complained of the
insufficiency of the food which had been prepared for him. Such a thing
as this had never occurred before in the palace. The Head Cook and all
the Under Cooks, the Head Chamberlain and all the Under Chamberlains,
the Head Usher and all the Under Ushers, and all the officials of lower
degree, were thrown into a dreadful state of confusion and alarm at the
event. They rushed hither and thither, between the kitchens and
dining-halls, upbraiding the scullions and other domestics for their
carelessness, and preparing the most elaborate and copious dishes for
the Emperor’s table. But after some time the Emperor, wearied by the
confusion, and unable, in spite of everything, to make a satisfactory
meal, gave orders that the whole of the Cooks and other attendants
responsible for his table-service should be imprisoned, and that unless
a satisfactory explanation of their negligence could be given before
this evening they should be beheaded. I have here, in my wallet, the
whole of the viands which yesterday were placed before the Emperor for
his consumption, and I propose at the audience to present them to him,
and inform him what really happened. He will undoubtedly pardon me when
he hears the story, and I shall earn the undying gratitude of all the
disgraced officials by procuring their release.”
The other two Thieves, on hearing this story, congratulated their
comrade warmly upon his daring and success, and the three entered the
Emperor’s antechamber together, and awaited the time for public
audience.
A few minutes later the great doors leading to the audience chamber
were thrown open, and a herald appearing upon the threshold proclaimed
“Silence.” He then gave notice that, on the previous day, the eggs had
all been stolen from under the Emperor’s favourite pea-hen, and that
any person who could find the eggs or give any information concerning
their loss should receive a reward; secondly, that for a breach of
etiquette the Prime Minister had been imprisoned, and that unless he
could explain his offence before six o’clock that evening he was to be
beheaded, and that any person who could offer assistance in the matter
would be well paid and otherwise rewarded by the Emperor; thirdly, that
owing to bad attendance during the Emperor’s repast the previous day,
all the domestic officials of the palace had been imprisoned, and would
be beheaded at six o’clock that evening unless they could give a
satisfactory explanation; and that any person who could assist in the
matter would be well rewarded for his pains.
So saying the Herald retired, and the public audience began. 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.
“Who are you three men?” asked the Emperor, “and what do you want from
me?”
“May it please Your Majesty,” replied the first Thief, “I have ventured
to bring a small gift for you.”
And so saying he took from his wallet the pea-hen’s eggs, and laid them
on the throne.
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.
“May it please Your Majesty,” replied the second Thief, “I also have a
small gift to make to you.”
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.
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. 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. 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.
When the third Thief was asked what he had to say he replied:
“I, too, have a small gift for Your Majesty.”
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.
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.
Having issued these various commands, the Emperor again summoned the
three Thieves before him, and addressed them as follows:
“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. So
before rewarding you in accordance with my promise, I desire to put
your skill to a further test. 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.”
When the three Thieves heard these words they were greatly frightened,
and bowing down before the Emperor they awaited his commands.
“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. 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.”
On hearing these words the three thieves consulted together for a few
moments, and replied as follows:
“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? All pearls look
very much alike, and it would be impossible for us to prove to you
whence they came. 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.”
The Emperor, seeing that this was a reasonable request, agreed to act
as the Thieves had suggested. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. By the
Treasurer’s orders, the gates were at once thrown open, and the
officials, entering the treasury, began the enumeration. 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. 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.
Next day, at six o’clock, the Emperor seated himself in his Hall of
Audience, and summoned the three Thieves before him.
“Well,” said he, “have you been able to fulfil the conditions which I
set you? 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.”
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. 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. 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.
On hearing this the Emperor no longer hesitated in fulfilling his
promise to the three Thieves. 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.
STORY No. XV.