When he came to the street that was strewed with money he sat down, took off his boots, and put on the newly-tarred boots. Then he walked along the street boldly, singing a song. When he had got to the end of the street, he took off the money that had stuck to his tarred boots, made a hole in the earth and poured it in. Then he walked back to the other end of the street, cleaned his boots again and buried the money. He did this the whole day, and by the evening he had picked up almost half of the money.
The sentinels gathered up what was left, went to the king, and said: ‘No one has taken the money, but a man was walking in the street from morning till night.’ The king was enraged that they had not taken this man, and ordered the sentinels to be beheaded.
Then he assembled his counsellors and asked their advice. Now the king had a hind, if they were to let this animal loose it would fall on its knees before the house of him who was guilty against the king. And the viziers said: ‘Let the hind go, and it will fall on its knees in front of the house of the thief.’
The king took this advice, and they let the hind loose.
It raced along the streets, and fell on its knees just in front of the Little Thief’s house.
In the morning, when the Little Thief awoke, he looked out of his window, and saw the king’s hind kneeling in front of his house. He had heard of this hind before, so, when he saw it, he knew what it meant. He went outside, seized hold of the hind and drew it in; he killed it and skinned it, then he hid the skin carefully, and kept the flesh in the house.
The king was mad with rage when they sought his hind and could not find it. He assembled his viziers, and told the story of the lost hind. The viziers’ resources were at an end now, they could think of no other trap for the thief.
But there appeared, from no one knows where, an old woman. She approached the king and said: ‘What wilt thou give me if I find the lost hind?’ ‘Whatever thou askest me,’ said the king. ‘Then give me my freedom.’ ‘I shall not only give thee thy freedom, but shall raise thee to the rank of princess,’ replied the king. The old woman rose and went forth to seek the hind.
She wandered till at last she came to the Little Thief’s house. The Little Thief was not at home, and she saw the Big Thief’s wife. She said: ‘Daughter, if thou hast a piece of hind’s flesh do not grudge it to me, it will cure a sick one of his illness.’ The thief’s wife did not know of the cunning of the old woman, went into her house, and brought out a piece of hind’s flesh. The old woman was joyful, and did not wait. She rose and went away.
When she had gone a little way, she met the Little Thief, who said: ‘What is that, old dame?’ ‘A piece of hind’s flesh, as a remedy for my trouble! The woman in that house gave it to me,’ said the beldam. The Little Thief understood her; he saw through her cunning, and said: ‘What is the use of this morsel of flesh? Come with me and I can give thee a whole dishful. Thou canst eat and give to thy friends; it will be of service to thee.’ The old woman’s head swam with pleasure. She turned back and went with the Little Thief. Whenever the deceitful old woman was enticed into the house, he drew out his dagger and cut off her head. Then he took her body, and buried it also under the couch. The king waited for news, but the old woman never came.