Who Stole the Moon Necklace?
The Start of the Misadventure
Once upon a time, a certain Princess went to the river to bathe, leaving her ornaments on the bank in the care of one of her maids. This maid took a surreptitious short nap, and during this lapse, mischief occurred. A moon necklace, one of the ornaments, vanished without a trace.
The Panic Ensues
When the maid discovered the loss, she realized that her life would be at risk once the Princess found out. Suddenly, she began to yell, ‘There, there he goes, the thief who has stolen the moon necklace.’ Fortuitously, someone was indeed running in that direction, and the palace guards took up the chase. But the suspect eluded the guards and disappeared from sight.
The King’s Wrath and a Promise
The king became very angry and would have executed the guards for failing in their duty if one of them had not promised to capture the culprit and recover the moon necklace.
The Accusations Begin
The next day, the said guard caught a man who resembled the runaway from the previous day. He quickly arrested him and presented him to the King, saying, ‘Your Majesty, here is the man who stole the moon necklace.’ The King roared, ‘And where is my daughter’s moon necklace?’ The bewildered citizen, who was indeed innocent, did not know what to say. Yet he had to speak or face the dire consequences. He responded, ‘Your Majesty, I have given the necklace to Narayan, the diamond merchant.’
The Suspicion Shifts
The soldiers soon arrested Narayan, the diamond merchant, and brought him before the king. The king asked sternly, ‘Where is the moon necklace.’ Clueless Narayan spotted the High Priest arriving and quickly responded, ‘Why, I gave it to him.’
From the High Priest to the Minister
The king turned to the High Priest and asked, ‘Where is the moon necklace?’ Though fear-stricken, the High Priest quickly responded, ‘Oh! the necklace, I took it from the merchant, said prayers over it, and gave it to the Chief Minister.’
The Blame Falls on the Monkey
The king spotted the Minister trying to sneak away from the court. He questioned him about the necklace. Without batting an eyelid, the Minister replied, ‘True, I got it from the High Priest. I was bringing it to you when a monkey snatched the jewel from my hands.’ The King exclaimed, ‘Is that so? Well, my guards will catch and destroy every monkey until the necklace is found.’ So the guards fanned out in all directions and began to pelt the monkeys with stones.
The Necklace Returns
As a form of retaliation, the monkeys began throwing fruits and whatever else they could lay their hands on. One monkey landed a direct hit on a Palace Guard’s nose with a shining missile, which proved to be the missing moon necklace. This monkey had actually picked up the necklace when the Princess was bathing in the river.
The Revelation
So the King recovered his necklace and never for a moment suspected that the supposed thief, the diamond merchant, the High Priest, and the Minister had all lied bravely to escape his wrath. The quick thinking of the Minister, which laid the blame on the monkey, ultimately rescued all the others from a very serious offence.
