Page:Folk Tales from Tibet (1906).djvu/118

88 the consequences of your rashness, and you shall all three be put to death."

When the three Thieves heard these words they were greatly frightened, and bowing down before the Emperor they awaited his commands.

"The test which I have in store for you," continued the Emperor, "is as follows: you must know that in my Treasury I have a great number of jewels and precious objects of all kinds; and the Treasury is enclosed within a treble wall ten fathoms in height, closed by iron gates, and is guarded night and day by companies of my most faithful soldiers. If you can produce, before six o'clock to-morrow evening, three of the pearls from my Treasury, you shall be pardoned and rewarded; but if you fail to do so, you shall all three be put to death."

On hearing these words the three thieves consulted together for a few moments, and replied as follows:

"We will do our best to carry out Your Majesty's commands and to succeed in this test which you have given us, but we would call your royal attention to one matter; it is this: supposing we produce before tomorrow evening three pearls as you command, how shall we be able to satisfy you that they come from the Royal Treasury? All pearls look very much alike, and it would be impossible for us to prove to you whence they came. We would, therefore, venture to suggest that, before putting us to this test, you should have a complete enumeration made of all the jewels in your Treasury; then, when we produce the three pearls in question, it