The Story of the Seven Thieves

In a certain country there were seven thieves, it is said. Among them one was a fool, or one who was learning robbery.

One day when these seven persons were going to break [into] a house, while on the road they spoke to that robber who was learning, and said thus: “Only we six persons will go for breaking [into] the house; you stay outside.” Teaching him [this], and having gone [there], and in that manner having made the man wait outside, those six persons got inside the house for house-breaking.

Thereupon, while those six persons were delaying a little, a thought having occurred to this foolish thief, “I also must steal something from this,” having thought [thus], when he was going passing his hand over the things that were there a large millet [grinding] stone was caught [by him]. Because he was unable to get it up quite alone, he spoke to a man who was sleeping on a raised veranda, and said, “Ōyi! Ōyi! Get up to lift this stone a little.”

Thereupon this man having said, “What is it?” when he cried out the robber sprang off and ran away. The seven persons having collected together at one spot, [the other six] having beaten and scolded that foolish thief, gave him advice.

Again, also, one day having gone calling him for breaking [into] a house, in the aforesaid very manner having made the man wait outside, the six persons got inside the house for robbery. While this fool was staying in the open, shaking and shaking a post under the stick frame of an ash-pumpkin creeper (on which it grew), an ash-pumpkin fruit that was at the post having broken off, fell on his head. Thereupon the fool, having become [frightened], began to cry out, saying, “They killed me!” Thereafter, the house men having awakened, when there was a disturbance the whole of the thieves sprang off, and went running away.

When they collected together in one place, they thought thus, “With this fool we shall not succeed in committing robbery; it is necessary to send this one for a few robberies alone.” Having thought [this], one day they spoke to the man, “Beginning from to-day, [after] stealing something for food for us, come back,” they said.

And he having gone to a house in which was one old woman, and having found a little pulse (mun-aeṭa), thought, “I must fry this little and carry it away,” and put it into a broken pot. When frying it, when it was coming to be fried to a certain extent, taking a spoon he put [some] of it in the mouth of the old woman who was sleeping in the house, to look if it was fried. Thereupon the woman, unable to bear the burning in her mouth, began to cry out. While the men who were sleeping, having said, “What is this?” were coming to look, the thief sprang off and ran away.

Again, also, one day having spoken to the foolish robber, “Catching two fowls for us from this house, come back,” they sent him.

And the robber having gone there, while he was asking, “[Am I] to bring the black ones [or] to bring the red ones?” the owners, having said, “Who is this who is taking the fowls?” drove him away. Thereupon the robber sprang off and ran away.

Again also, one day having seen that there are two clumps of sugar-cane at a house, they said, “Cutting two from that for food for us, come away,” and sent him.

And this one having gone there and seen that there are equal shares of black and white sugar-canes, while he was asking, “Which sugar-cane of these shall I bring?” just as before, the owners having come and said, “What are you cutting sugar-cane for?” drove him away.

While he was continuing to commit robberies in that manner for not many days, one day having met with a Gamarāla, when he was asking, “[Where] are you going?” “We are going for a means of livelihood,” they said.

While all the robbers were going away from there, they met with yet a man, and when he was asking, “Where are you going?” they said, “We are going for a means of livelihood.”

Thereupon the man having spoken to them and said, “If so, come; there is a thatching at my house,” and having gone to the house, calling them, said, “Here. Cover this large house with straw.” Having ordered it, he went away on a journey.

At that time, having got ready, and seen that a certain old woman was in that house, they covered her with the whole of the straw. Thereupon that woman becoming afraid, all at the house came while she was crying out.

Thereupon the house men say, “It is not that old woman. Cover the roof with straw.”

At the time when they said it they did the work in that manner; and having gone to the lodgings (wāḍiya) where they were at first, and made that foolish thief stay there, the six other persons went for a robbery. Stealing a certain tom-tom beater’s box of decorations they placed it at their lodgings, and went to sleep.

That foolish robber having seen it, after those six persons went to sleep, this fool putting on all those [things], stayed warming himself at the fire. At that time, while sleep was going to fall heavily on him, when the jingling bangles placed on his arms gave the [usual] sound, one of those who were sleeping awoke and looked.

Finished.

North-western Province.

In Indian Nights’ Entertainment (Swynnerton), p. 140, a silly weaver went with three friends who were thieves, to break into a house. They made a hole through the wall, and telling him to wait outside and keep watch, the thieves entered. After waiting some time he followed them, and began to cook some food that he found near the fire. The owner’s wife was sleeping close by on a low bed; on turning over in her sleep her arm, palm uppermost, was stretched out in front of the weaver. Thinking she was asking for some of the food, he placed a spoonful boiling hot in her hand. She shrieked out, the men were caught, and the King imprisoned the others, but released the weaver.

In Les Avadānas (Julien), No. xcvii, vol. ii, p. 76, a party of comedians who were benighted on a mountain haunted by men-eating demons, slept beside a fire. On account of the cold, one who played as a Rākshasa put on his own costume while the rest were asleep. Several others on looking up saw a Rākshasa there, and fled; the rest followed, the man who had alarmed them running close behind them. They left the mountain, crossed a river, threw themselves into pools, and at last fell down worn out with fatigue. In the morning they recognised their comrade. This story is also given in Cinq Cents Contes et Apologues (Chavannes), vol. ii, p. 203.

In The Orientalist, vol. i, p. 136 ff., in the tale of the twenty-five idiots referred to in the notes to the last story, Miss S. J. Goonetilleke gave an account of the attempt to remove the millet-grinding stone, the scalding of the old woman’s mouth, and the assuming of the dress of the Yakā (said to be the Garā Yakā), and the subsequent drowning of the party in the well.

In the same work, vol. i, p. 131, the editor gave the incident of the covering of the Mahagē with straw, in a tale termed “The Story of Hokkā.” The old woman, who was the Gamarāla’s mother, was suffocated.