To Catch a Thief

The King of Manipur presented his lovely daughter with a beautiful necklace studded with precious stones. One day, the necklace was stolen. Enraged by the incident, the king ordered his men to find out who the thief was – clearly, someone from the royal palace had stolen the precious necklace.

Unfolding the Mystery

The ministers, burdened with the daunting task of identifying the thief, knew it was futile to question everyone, as no one would confess to the crime. After contemplating this predicament for a while, he finally came up with a solution. He called three of his most trusted lieutenants and whispered a plan into their ears.

A little later, all the palace employees were instructed to gather in the courtyard. In a stern voice, the minister announced the theft of the princess’s necklace, hoping for the thief to confess willingly. To everyone’s surprise, a trader burst into the courtyard, upset at the loss of his money bag filled with five thousand gold pieces. He asked for the minister’s assistance in recovering his stolen property.

The Unravelling

Hardly had the merchant finished speaking when a respected hermit walked in. The minister addressed him with deep respect and decided to prioritize the recovery of the merchant’s gold before concentrating on the stolen necklace. Furthermore, he stated that both incidents occurred within the palace grounds.

The hermit seemed to meditate upon these words, muttered a few incantations, and sprinkled water on the crowd. Suddenly, a man writhed on the ground, confessing he stole the merchant’s money bag and promised to return it to avoid the pain inflicted upon him by the hermit’s spell.

Revelation and Recovery

Two guards led the confessed thief away. The hermit then turned the focus to the stolen necklace. Before long, a maid from the royal chamber threw herself at his feet and confessed to stealing the precious piece, pleading for forgiveness for her actions. With her confession, the necklace was finally recovered.

Unexpectedly, the hermit and the merchant revealed themselves as the minister’s trusted henchmen in disguise. The minister commended them for their outstanding performance and ensured they would be suitably rewarded for their efforts.