Then both of them having come to the palace, the Queen told the King that thieves took the necklace. Thereupon the King caused the Ministers to be brought, and said, “Go quickly and seek ye the necklace.” The Ministers speedily tying [up their cloths],[1] began to run [in search of it].
At that time a poor man from a distant place came into the jungle to seek sticks and creepers. When he was coming, the Ministers watching there were saying, “Seize him; he bounded away here.”
This poor man having heard it thought to himself, “Should I stay here they will seize me. Because of it, having bounded away from here I must go to my village.”
At the time when the man was running away, the Ministers having gone and seized the man, and beaten and beaten the man with their hands and feet, took him near the King.
Thereupon the King asked at the hand of the man, “Didst thou take a gold [and pearl] necklace in this manner?”
Then the man thought to himself, “Should I say that I did not take this necklace, the King will behead me. Because of it, I must say that I took it.” Having thought this, he said, “I took it.”
Then the King asked, “Where is it now?”
The man said, “I gave it to the Treasurer (siṭānō) of this city.”
Afterwards the King having caused the Treasurer to be brought, asked, “Did this man give thee a necklace?”
Thereupon the Treasurer thought to himself, “Should I say that he did not give it to me, he will now behead this poor man. Because of it, I must say that he gave it to me.” Having thought this, he said, “He gave it.”