Well then, because this principal thief’s son was a person possessing divine skill (sura-nuwana), ascertaining that they had become wealthy because of the dexterous character of his father’s robbery, he got into his mind [the notion] to earn the very same livelihood as his father, having become a dexterous thief to the same degree.
When this principal thief was going for robbery it was a custom [of his] to go [after] tying two pairs of small bells on both feet. When the thief’s son asked his mother, “What is the motive for going for robbery, tying on the bells?” she said thus: “Why, son? As though they are not hearing the noise of your father’s pair of little bells, he goes [after] tying on the pair of little bells, having put them on the foot by way of ingenuity, for the purpose of remembering to commit [only] theft.”
Well then, one day, when the father had started to go for robbery, the son also asked his mother [for permission] to go with him. At that time his mother said thus: “Son, because of [your not possessing] your father’s dexterity, at no time are you able, indeed, to get a bare subsistence by doing that for a livelihood. Because of that don’t you try to go.”
On the following day, when the father was going for robbery this son also went without concealing himself, just behind his father. [The father] having dug into a house, when he was becoming ready to enter the house, this son went behind quietly, and cutting off the two pairs of little bells that were on his father’s two feet, came home.
The father, also, perceiving, before entering the house, that some one had cut both pairs of little bells off his two feet, having dropped the doing house-robbery, and having gone running home, from that day remained lying down, without eating, without drinking. When this thief’s wife asked, “Why are you doing that?” the thief says, “After he cut off my two pairs of little bells, which, from the day I was born, for so much time were committing robbery more cleverly than all, well, I shall not go for robbery, and shall not eat, and shall not drink,” he said.
Because the thief’s wife had ascertained that his son had cut off his father’s two pairs of little bells, having said to the thief, “Don’t be grieved,” she told him that his own son cut off the two pairs of little bells. Thereupon the thief was extremely satisfied regarding his son.
Again one day, on the day when there was a feast at the King’s house, the principal thief was ready to go to commit robbery in the royal house. His son also said that he was wishful to go. Thereupon the father said, “Because thou also art a dexterous thief of my own quality, come.” They two having gone, and having dug into the royal palace, while the son remained outside the father went into the house, and having brought gold, silver, pearls, gems, various other things, gave them to his son.
From the time when the father, having dug into the house, entered it, the son said, “Father, however sweet the royal food should be, don’t eat even a little, indeed.” But as soon as the father’s nose perceived the sweet odour of the tasty sorts of food, the father began to eat the royal provisions to the possible extent. Having thus eaten, and having finished, taking also a quantity of goods, when, having filled his belly, [he was] coming to give them to his son, his belly having been filled and having become enlarged, he was unable to creep out by the place which he first dug; and he stuck fast.
Thereupon the son, having gone running to the house, taking also the goods, informed his mother about this; and again having gone to the King’s house, taking a sword also, and having seen that the father having been stuck fast was dead, cutting the father’s neck with the sword he brought home only the head.
On the following day, in the morning having perceived that the goods at the royal house have been stolen, and having caused soothsayers to be brought to find the thief, when [the King] asked the sooth the soothsayers said, “The thief has entered on such and such a side of such and such a store-house, having dug a long tunnel. The thief indeed can be found; the things cannot be found.” Thereupon the King, having made inquiry and when he looked having seen that in the end of the tunnel a man without the head part had become stuck fast, for the purpose of finding who are the relatives whom the man has, and his friends, commanded that during the whole of three days [they were] to walk, bringing the corpse, everywhere in the city.