That Prince asked at the hand of the widow woman, “Mother, to-day, in the direction of that city—isn’t it so?—there is a report about the thief?”
Then the widow woman said, “Andō! Why not, son? To-morrow the King is going, they say, to catch the thief.”
On the following day, taking also a bundle of clothes, he went to a pool at the road, and having tied a cord to an earthen cooking-pot, and sent the earthen pot into the water, continuing to tread on the cord with his foot, [so as to keep the pot below the surface], he washes the clothes.
Then the King came on horseback, together with the Ministers. This Prince who is washing clothes asked at the hand of those Ministers, “Where are you going?”
The Ministers said, “We are going to seize the thief.”
Then the Prince says, “Look here; he sprang into this water. Having seen him coming, the King must be ready to seize him when he comes to the surface.”
Afterwards, the King descended from the back of his horse, and having taken off the royal ornaments, putting on the bathing cloth[3] got ready to seize the thief at the time when he rises to the surface.
Then this Prince deceitfully slackened a little the cord on which he was treading with his feet; then the earthen pot which was in the water rose to the surface a little. Having said, “Perhaps it is the head of the thief,” those Ministers and the King sprang into the water.
Then this Prince who was washing clothes, putting on those royal ornaments, mounted on the [King’s] horse, and said, “Look there! There is the thief, seize him!” Then all having come near that King seized him.
After that this Prince said, “Having tied him to the leg of this horse, [you are] to strike him fifty blows.” Then those Ministers, having taken the King and tied him to the horse’s leg, struck him fifty blows.