In a certain city there was a thief, Harantikaya by name. The thief,
together with his father, goes to commit robberies. For a long period,
at the time when they are committing robberies at that city not a
single person could seize that thief.
One day, the father and son having spoken about breaking in to the
box of valuables at the foot of the bed [35] of the King of the city,
entered the King's palace. Having entered it, and gone by a window
into the kitchen, and eaten the royal food that was cooked for the
King, he went into the very room and broke into the box at the foot of
the bed; and taking the goods and having come back into the kitchen,
he put [outside] the articles he had brought. It was the father who
went into the house, and put out the articles. The son stayed near
the window, on the outer side.
Well then, the father tries (lit., makes) to come out by the window;
[because of the quantity of food he has eaten] he cannot come. [36]
Thereafter, the father, having put out his neck through the window,
told the son to drag him out.
Well then, the son tried hard to drag him out. Because he also could
not do it the son cut off the father's head. Then the thief called
Harantika (the son), taking the head and the articles stolen out of
the box at the foot of the bed, came home.
Thereafter, having come home he says at the hand of his mother,
"Mother, our father was unable to come [out by the window at which
he entered the kitchen at the palace]. He endeavoured as much as
possible. Because father was unable to come, cutting father's neck
with the knife that was in my hand, [I brought away his head and]
I returned here. The theft will come to light. Now then, to-morrow,
during the day, having said, 'Whose is the corpse?' they will bring
it along these four streets. Don't you either cry out, or lament,
or tell about us." These matters he told his mother.
On the morning of the following day, fixing a noose to the two feet
of the dead body, the King ordered the Ministers to take it, and walk
[dragging the corpse] along the four streets. Next, he gave orders to
the city that everyone, not going anywhere, must remain to observe
whose was this dead body. Thereafter, when the Ministers were going
along dragging the corpse, the men [and women of the city] remained
looking on.
At the time when the wife of the dead man, [on seeing the body] is
crying out, "O my husband!" the thief called Harantika, having been
in a Murunga tree [in front of the doorway], broke a Murunga branch,
and fell to the ground.
Well then, these city people having said, "Who is this who cried
out?" at the time when they hear it a part say, "A boy fell from a
tree; on that account she is crying out." Well then, that she cried
out on account of this corpse nobody knows. That thief called Harantika
was saved by that.
It is owing to that, indeed, they say, "The stratagems which the
thief has, even the God Ganesa (the God of Wisdom) does not possess."
Washerman. North-western Province.