The Thief and the Innocent

The miser was ruthless in collecting his dues, demanding heavy interest and hoarding wealth in the form of gold. His greed knew no bounds, making him one of the worst misers around.

One day, after converting a large sum of money into gold, he carried the precious metal back home bundled in a piece of cloth. This method was convenient for him as he preferred to keep his wealth hidden in gold.

Unbeknownst to the miser, three thieves had been following him. One of them confidently declared, “I can steal the miser’s gold.” The other two encouraged him to try. The miser, however, relaxed in a tavern for half an hour, never loosening his grip on the bag containing his gold.

Upon returning home, the miser sat on a bench and called for his maid-servant to bring him water. As he drank from the tumbler she provided, the thief seized the opportunity. He stealthily reached for the bag and snatched the bundle of gold while the miser was distracted.

After the maid-servant left the room, the thief crawled out from under the bench and escaped through the backyard. When he reunited with his friends, he proudly displayed his loot. However, they soon informed him of the miser’s outburst, threatening his maid-servant with punishment for supposedly stealing the gold. Determined to help the maid, the thief concocted a plan. He approached the miser, posing as a concerned citizen, and managed to retrieve the gold by tricking the miser into writing a receipt. As soon as he received it, the thief slipped away, leaving the miser convinced of his maid-servant’s innocence.