The old man answered, "He was going to send out his soldiers to catch
the thief, but he heard that a certain woman said she knew who the thief
was, and so he is going to pay her to tell him."
The youth asked where the woman lived, and the old man pointed out her
house to him.
That evening the youth went out, and came to the house of that woman and
found her outside, and he said to her, "Mother, I am thirsty; give me a
drink of water."
So she went to the well to draw some water, and the youth came behind
her and pushed her in. Then he went into the house and took her clothes
and jewellery and brought them back to his house.
Next day, when the professor came, he asked the news, and he said, "My
son, I told you yesterday that there was a woman who said that she could
tell the Sultan the name of the thief. Well, last night the thief came
and pushed her into the well and stole her things."