Find out what happens when thieves accuse an honest old man of cheating them.

Many years ago, there was a gang of four thieves who lived in a forest. They kept all their stolen money in a pot. After some time, they decided to stop stealing and do some honest work. They decided to look for in the town. The fourth thief, however, did not like the idea at all. He did not say anything, but he planned to steal the money and escape. He was just waiting for an opportunity.

On a hill, near the town was the house of an old woman. The four thieves went to her and said, `We are four merchants and we want to start a business in the town. We would like to rent some rooms in your house,’ the old woman was happy and said. `You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish.

Before they left for the town, they gave her the pot and said, `Please, keep it safe for us. Give it to us only when all four of us ask for it.’

The old woman dug a hole in the ground and put the pot in it. The four thieves went down the hill towards the town. At the bottom, they stopped to rest under a tree. They could see the old woman’s house on the hill above them. Just then, woman selling buttermilk passed by, the men decided to buy some. But they had pot in which to put man to go back to the old woman’s house and fetch a vessel. He went to the old woman and asked her for the pot of money. He said, `my friends have sent me to fetch the pot. They are sitting there –at the bottom of the hill.’

The old woman called out to the other thieves, `do you want me to give him the pot?’ the other three said, `Yes! Give it to him.’ `So the woman dug out the pot. The man took the pot and ran away. (Unfortunately fir him, he had not gone far when he met two policemen who wanted to know what he was doing with such a large pot)

When fourth man did not return, the others became suspicious and came to find out what had happened. The old woman told them what had happened. But they did not believe her. `You must have planned it with our friends. We want money back.’

They took the woman to court. They told judge what had happened. `We asked her to hand over the pot only all four of us asked for it.’ The judge listened to the old woman’s story. He felt sure she was telling the truth.

He returned to the thieves and said, `You are only three. Bring the fourth one here and she will return your pot.’

The thieves could nothing. They left court without a word.