Some time passed by, but still the old woman did not come, and the king was enraged. He assembled his counsellors, and said: ‘What is the use of all this? Is there no way of trapping this thief?’ The viziers said: ‘This fellow is so brave, and such a clever thief, that we cannot entrap him.’
Then the king rose up and said: ‘Let the thief come to me. I shall not harm him, but shall give him my daughter to wife. He is so clever that I cannot take him by trickery.’
When the Little Thief heard this he came to the king and said: ‘I am that thief, and I am come to do your majesty’s will.’ The king could not break his word, so he gave him his daughter in marriage.
A neighbouring monarch heard this story. Every day he wrote irritating letters to the thief’s father-in-law, the king, saying: ‘Are you not ashamed to have anything to do with a low thief, to marry him to your daughter, and call him son-in-law?...’ The king was very much annoyed at these scornful reproaches, and at last fell ill, being able to bear them no longer.
Then the king’s son-in-law came to him and said: ‘What is the matter? Why art thou ill?’ His father-in-law told him everything, and he replied: ‘Why distress thyself? Give me a few days’ leave, and I shall show thee a sight. Only on such and such a day prepare a grand festival, and I shall be here.’ He fixed a date, and went away.
He travelled on until he came to the kingdom of the mocking monarch, and he went into a house and rested. The next day he saw a tailor and said: ‘I want a robe cut out of pieces of skin; it must be all of different colours, and I want little bells put in it.’ When the tailor had finished the garment, the thief gave him money and sent him away.
Then he clad himself in the robe, took a glittering, naked sword in his hand, and went to the palace. The porters did not want to let him in, but the thief said: ‘I am Michael Gabriel, sent from God! I am commanded to take the souls of your king and queen to Paradise, and if you trouble me I shall take your souls too, and shall send them into hell.’ He moved towards one of them, and the bells began to ring. The porters’ hearts were fearful, and they hid themselves.
The thief went in to the king. When he saw the man he became pale. Michael Gabriel said: ‘I give you a term of three days. In these three days put all your affairs in order; appoint your successor. Strip off everything, put yourselves in coffins, and set the keys on the top. In three days I shall come again, lock the coffins, and take them away with me.’ When he had said this he went away, returned to the house, took off the robe of skins, and waited three days.
On the third day he clothed himself as before, and went again to the palace. The king and queen had stripped off everything, and were in the coffins waiting. He called out: ‘When you get to Paradise you will hear a noise, then the coffins will open, and your eyes will view a glorious scene.’ He took the keys, locked both the coffins, took them on his back, and carried them out.
He put them on his ass, went behind it, and called gently, ‘Gee-up!’ On the appointed day he came to the court of his father-in-law, who had invited the whole of his kingdom and many neighbouring princes to a great feast. The thief came, and, as he lifted the coffins off the ass, beautiful music was heard.