As it happened, another most skilful thief, intimately versed in the mysteries of chicanery and professor of the cheat­ing art, having formed a love connection with a loose woman who lived near the gate, was enjoying her company, when he heard the feigned lamentations of his brother robber. From his experi­ence he guessed the cause, and followed after him unperceived, before the guards could shut the gates. The guards enquired what was his calling, and why he wanted to go out at such a time of night? He replied, “The person who has now just gone forth in such sorrow is my brother. His son, whose innocent prattling brought to mind the chatter of the paroquet, has in tender infancy taken flight from this narrow, perish­able world to the expansive regions of eternity, leaving the wounds of sorrow in the hearts of his father, and me his lamenting uncle. I go, that I may share in my brother’s sorrows, and assist him in burying my poor nephew.” By help of this artful story, having passed the city gate, he followed the first thief.

The first thief went directly to the place of execution, where he saw three robbers upon the stakes impaled, and a fourth stake void, close by. From this last, having counted a few paces, he buried the fish in the earth, and fetching a stone clotted with blood from beneath one of the pales, placed it as a talisman upon his treasure, that he might without difficulty know the spot. The thief who had followed, while the first was employed in digging the hole and burying the fish, having swarmed the vacant stake, seated himself upon it. The first thief, when he had finished his business, by way of strict observance again came to the stakes, where he now saw also a man upon the fourth. Astonished and amazed at this circumstance, he said within himself, “Within a short inter­val, I certainly thought I saw one pale void, how comes it that there is now a man upon it! but I may have been misled by my eyesight at the first view, or my memory may have failed me.” Alarm still filled his mind, and he exercised his wits to obtain certainty and cut the knot of such a mystery. First he felt the breast and temples of each criminal, that he might distinguish if they breathed, and find out the living from the dead; but they all proved alike to his feel, without the least difference.

Overcome with surprize, he con­sidered awhile; then advancing to the suspicious stake, and holding for a full quarter of an hour the thief’s nose, tried his breath; but the artful rogue so held it in, that it would have been impossible for the finger of Plato to perceive the motion of his veins. The first thief, after he had used all this trial and cau­tion, according to the axiom, that the sword is the last resource, drawing a short sabre, struck it with all his force at the cheek of the second, who shrunk not a hair’s breadth, or moved the least, though he received a severe wound. The first thief now discharging suspicion from his mind, became eased of apprehension, and self-secure from mischief, went his way.

When the first thief had taken his departure, the other descended from the stake, and going to the spot where the jewel-formed fish was buried, dug it up, and become overjoyed at the acquisition of such a treasure. Having congratu­lated himself upon his own penetration, sagacity, and firmness, he deposited the fish in another place, and retiring, bound up his wounds.

When the fish of day, arising from the ocean’s depth, enlightened the sur­face of the globe by the rays of its sparkling gems, he returned to the house of his mistress; who observing the gashes upon his face, enquired the cause. The courageous thief, resolved to keep his secret, did not admit her into the path of knowledge, or commit the mystery to his lips, but said, “Ask no questions, and procure a surgeon that he may assist me in the cure of my wounds.” The prostitute having called her attendants, who were of her own profession, said, “During the long space that you have kept alive the glow of love, has any one of you had a surgeon as your gallant?” A smiling-faced damsel, advancing with nods and glances, replied, “I have for my lover a surgeon of the highest skill and knowledge in his profession.” The mistress, having thanked her with condescension and kindness, desired her to fetch the sur­geon; who being arrived, examined the wounds of the thief; and having per­formed his operations, praised the courage and fortitude of his patient.

In the course of the day, the thief who had stolen the fish from the royal bedchamber, to satisfy his mind and take proper precautions, revisited the spot. He saw that his prize was car­ried off by a flood, all the exertions he had used scattered to the winds, and that the thief he had wounded on the pale was vanished like the phœnix. Rage enflamed his bosom, and he became like a fish, floundering in the net of destruc­tion. Gloomy and desponding, he returned to the city like one distracted, his back bowed under the cruelty of for­tune, and retired to his lurking place in a state of despair. Reclining his head, like a ball in the curve of the mace, upon his knees, he employed himself as the melancholy mad, in forming useless conjectures and idle fancies.

At length he heard a great noise, and the following proclamation was made: “A thief last night stole the king’s fish set with jewels. Whosoever will recover it, shall be distinguished by the royal favour, and may take the phœnix of riches in the snare of attainment.” Upon this, the mournful thief again hastened to try his fortune at the royal palace, and being introduced to the gra­cious audience by the chief magistrate, first entered the asylum of pardon, and then, having related his adventures from beginning to end to the confidential attendants of the imperial presence, said, “The wounds which I inflicted on the face of the truly-skilful robber will be the means of his detection, but let the world-commanding order be issued, that I may be admitted where­ever I may think fit to search for the ill-starred wretch, so that no one be a stone in my path, or stop my progress.” The king commanded the judge of police to afford him every assistance, and set him at liberty.

The thief now began to examine all the streets and allies, and wherever he saw a surgeon visiting patients, insisted on accompanying him in his rounds. After some days he followed the right person to the house of the prostitute, where he beheld his rival reclined upon a princely couch, and drinking wine, which is the most abominable of all actions. His wounds were getting bet­ter, and fast healing. Having made a low obeisance, he expanded the tongue of complimentary gratulation, and said, “A thousand praises are due to such a magic-performing thief as thou. Mother earth glories in such an able son. Without exaggeration I may say, that the eye of time hath never beheld a more able professor than thyself in the mysteries of filching and arts of roguery. Through thee the thieving trade has become renowned throughout the world, and in thy person the sci­ence of cheating distinguished over the globe. True it is, that science receives credit from the abilities of the professor, as the diamond its full lustre from the skilful polish of the jeweller’s hand. Now, then, rise up, and take the trouble just to visit the paradise-like abode of the king of kings, for his Majesty expects thy noble approach.”

The eminent thief, who saw that there was no remedy but to commit him­self to the path of truth, replied, “Praise and thanks be to God, that such an able teacher as thou, so distinguished in art, the guide of thievery, and instructor of rogues, who canst fix thy ladder upon the highest heaven, and steal from the crucible of the fir­mament the glowing metal of the sun, hast extended thy tongue in my praise and proved the gold of my skill to be pure, on the touchstone of impar­tiality. How great is my fortune! how glorious my success! how auspi­cious my stars! However, generosity and liberality dictated, that till the healing of my wounds and recovery from my hurts, having exercised thy noble nature, thou shouldst, after the manner of the benevolent, have given me quarter. Then, by the guidance of my stars and direction of fortune, having arrived at thy presence, I should have gained the treasures of felicity, and, with thy approbation, taken the fish to our gracious sovereign. Since, what was incumbent on a generous nature and worthy a noble mind has not been performed, what can I now do, but lay my head at thy feet? My skill has made for­tune draw her sword against me as the object of her envy, and as I am invincible in the field of knavery, time has doomed my blood to stain the point of the pale.” Having finished his speech, he arose, and accompanied by death, having come to the Sultaun, delivered up his prize, and was instantly executed.

To the experienced in the field of knowledge, who (having measured the depths and heights of events with the foot of trial) have reached the place of conviction, it is clear, that if the second thief, not being self-secure from the ven­geance of the first, had chosen a distant asylum, he had not consumed the store­house of his life in the fire of annihilation.