very greatly amazed, seeing the body of the thief
held in the trap without his head, and the chamber
unbroken, with no way to come in by or go out:
and being at a loss he hung up the dead body of the
thief upon the wall and set guards there, with charge
if they saw any one weeping or bewailing himself to
seize him and bring him before the king. And when
the dead body had been hung up, the mother was greatly
grieved, and speaking with the son who survived she
enjoined him, in whatever way he could, to contrive
means by which he might take down and bring home the
body of his brother; and if he should neglect to do
this, she earnestly threatened that she would go and
give information to the king that he had the money.
So as the mother dealt hardly with the surviving son,
and he though saying many things to her did not persuade
her, he contrived for his purpose a device as follows:—Providing
himself with asses he filled some skins with wine
and laid them upon the asses, and after that he drove
them along: and when he came opposite to those
who were guarding the corpse hung up, he drew towards
him two or three of the necks of the skins and loosened
the cords with which they were tied. Then when
the wine was running out, he began to beat his head
and cry out loudly, as if he did not know to which
of the asses he should first turn; and when the guards
saw the wine flowing out in streams, they ran together
to the road with drinking vessels in their hands and
collected the wine that was poured out, counting it
so much gain; and he abused them all violently, making
as if he were angry, but when the guards tried to
appease him, after a time he feigned to be pacified
and to abate his anger, and at length he drove his
asses out of the road and began to set their loads
right. Then more talk arose among them, and one
or two of them made jests at him and brought him to
laugh with them; and in the end he made them a present
of one of the skins in addition to what they had.
Upon that they lay down there without more ado, being
minded to drink, and they took him into their company
and invited him to remain with them and join them
in their drinking: so he (as may be supposed)
was persuaded and stayed. Then as they in their
drinking bade him welcome in a friendly manner, he
made a present to them also of another of the skins;
and so at length having drunk liberally the guards
became completely intoxicated; and being overcome by
sleep they went to bed on the spot where they had
been drinking. He then, as it was now far on
in the night, first took down the body of his brother,
and then in mockery shaved the right cheeks of all
the guards; and after that he put the dead body upon
the asses and drove them away home, having accomplished
that which was enjoined him by his mother. Upon
this the king, when it was reported to him that the
dead body of the thief had been stolen away, displayed
great anger; and desiring by all means that it should
be found out who it might be who devised these things,


