Next morning they breakfasted together, becoming very friendly, and the robber said, “Please can you lend me your horse and a clean suit of clothes, because I must go to report a person to the Government?” So the merchant gave him a clean suit and a horse, and told him, “You can change your clothes and wash here. I must go to my office.” He then left.
The robber put on the clothes, and rode off to the Government office, and explained his case, and asked for a man to be sent to fetch the merchant, as he had to recover a large sum of money from him. The Chief of the Police sent a man to call him.
When the merchant came, the Chief of the Police asked him, “Why don’t you pay this gentleman the money you owe him?”
He says, “Which gentleman?”
“This gentleman,” said the Chief of the Police, pointing to the robber.
“This one!”
“Yes, I am the one,” said the robber.
The merchant said, “Don’t you feel ashamed at saying I owe you some money?”
“Of course,” he replied, and then he took out the promissory note, and handed it to the Chief of the Police.
The Chief of the Police looked at it, and said, “Hallo! That is a big amount.”