And this one having gone there and seen that there are equal shares of black and white sugar-canes, while he was asking, “Which sugar-cane of these shall I bring?” just as before, the owners having come and said, “What are you cutting sugar-cane for?” drove him away.
While he was continuing to commit robberies in that manner for not many days, one day having met with a Gamarāla, when he was asking, “[Where] are you going?” “We are going for a means of livelihood,” they said.
Having said, “If so, come; there is a niyara chopping[1] in my rice field,” calling them and having gone to the house and handed over the work to them, the Gamarāla set off, and having gone somewhere or other, in the evening came to the house. Having seen that they also, having finished with the work and come to the house, were [there], and having given them food and drink, etc., and given a place to sleep in, and in the morning also, after it became light, having given them food, he started them off and sent them away. Thereafter, the Gamarāla having gone to the rice field, and when looking having seen that all the earthen ridges had been cut and thrown down, arriving at vexation he came home.
While all the robbers were going away from there, they met with yet a man, and when he was asking, “Where are you going?” they said, “We are going for a means of livelihood.”
Thereupon the man having spoken to them and said, “If so, come; there is a thatching at my house,” and having gone to the house, calling them, said, “Here. Cover this large house with straw.” Having ordered it, he went away on a journey.
At that time, having got ready, and seen that a certain old woman was in that house, they covered her with the whole of the straw. Thereupon that woman becoming afraid, all at the house came while she was crying out.
When they asked, “What is this you are doing?” they say, “The man who was at this house having said, ‘Cover this mahagē[2] with straw,’ went away. That work we are doing,” they said.
Thereupon the house men say, “It is not that old woman. Cover the roof with straw.”
At the time when they said it they did the work in that manner; and having gone to the lodgings (wāḍiya) where they were at first, and made that foolish thief stay there, the six other persons went for a robbery. Stealing a certain tom-tom beater’s box of decorations they placed it at their lodgings, and went to sleep.
That foolish robber having seen it, after those six persons went to sleep, this fool putting on all those [things], stayed warming himself at the fire. At that time, while sleep was going to fall heavily on him, when the jingling bangles placed on his arms gave the [usual] sound, one of those who were sleeping awoke and looked.