So, when the king arose, he arose early, and went there, where the thief had fallen, and sees the thief there in the cask of molasses, and with no head. Then what is he to do? He took and went to the old thief, and told him, ‘Look you, old thief, I caught the thief, and he has no head.’
Then the old thief said, ‘There! O king, this is a cunning thief. But what are you to do? Why, take the corpse, and hang it up outside at the city gate. And he who stole his head will come to steal him too. And do you set soldiers to watch him.’
So the king went and took the corpse, and hung it up, and set soldiers to watch it.
Then the thief took and bought a white mare and a cart, and took a jar of twenty measures of wine. And he put it [[43]]in the cart, and drove straight to the place where his comrade was hanging. He made himself very old, and pretended the cart had broken down, and the jar had fallen out. And he began to weep and tear his hair, and he made himself to cry aloud, that he was a poor man, and his master would kill him. The soldiers guarding the corpse said one to another, ‘Let’s help to put this old fellow’s jar in the cart, mates, for it’s a pity to hear him.’
So they went to help him, and said to him, ‘Hullo! old chap, we’ll put your jar in the cart; will you give us a drop to drink?’
‘That I will, deary.’
So they went and put the jar in the cart. And the old fellow took and said to them, ‘Take a pull, deary, for I have nothing to give it you in.’
So the soldiers took and drank till they could drink no more. And the old fellow made himself to ask, ‘And who is this?’
The soldiers said, ‘That is a thief.’
Then the old man said, ‘Hullo! deary, I shan’t spend the night here, else that thief will steal my mare.’