The Girl who showed Great Devotion to the Thief.Did he weep or laugh?
Then the king went back to the sissoo tree, put the goblin on his shoulder, and started.And as he walked along, the goblin said to him: "O King, I will tell you another story.Listen."There is a city called Ayodhya, which was once the capital of Rama the exterminator of giants.In this city lived a strong-armed king named Hero-banner who protected the world as a wall protects a city.During his reign a great merchant named Jewel lived in the city.His wife was named Pleasing, and a daughter named Pearl was given to her prayers.
As the girl grew up in her father's house, her natural virtues grew too: beauty, charm, and modesty.And thus she became a young woman.Now in her young womanhood she was asked in marriage not only by great merchants, but even by kings.But she was prudent and did not like men.She would not have loved a god if he had been her husband.She was ready to die at merely hearing talk of her marriage.So her father was silent on the subject, though his tender love for her made him sad.And the story was known everywhere in Ayodhya.
At this time all the citizens were being plundered by thieves, and they petitioned King Hero-banner in these words: "O King, we are plundered every night by thieves, and cannot catch them.Your Majesty must decide what to do." So the king stationed night-watchmen in hiding about the city, to search out the thieves.
When the watchmen failed to catch the thieves for all their searching, the king himself took his sword, and wandered about alone at night.And he saw a man creeping along a wall with noiseless steps, often casting a fearful glance behind him.The king concluded that this was the thief who all alone robbed the city, and went up to him.And the thief asked him who he was.The king replied: "I am a thief."Then the thief said joyfully: "Good! You are my friend.Come to my house.I will treat you like a friend." So the king agreed and went with the thief to a house hidden in a grove and guarded by a wall, full of delightfuland beautiful things, and bright with shining gems.There the thief offered the king a seat, and went into an inner room.
At that moment a serving-maid came into the room and said to the king: "Your Majesty, why have you come into the jaws of death? This wonderful thief has gone out, intending to do you a mischief.He is certainly treacherous.Go away quickly."So the king quickly went away, returned to the city, and drew up a company of soldiers.With these soldiers he went and surrounded the house where the serving-maid had been.
When the thief saw that the house was surrounded, he knew that he was betrayed, and came out to fight and die like a man.He showed more than human valour.He cut off the trunks of elephants, the legs of horses, and the heads of men; and he was all alone, with only his sword and shield.When the king saw that his army was destroyed, he ran forward himself.
The king was a scientific swordsman, so with a turn of his wrist he sent the sword and the dagger flying from the thief's hand.Then he threw away his own sword, wrestled with the thief, threw him, and took him alive.
