meaning." And the fourth said, "I have this gift: if I ever see a man in the darkest night, I can recognise that man again, if I see him by day amongst a hundred others." Then the thieves said, "Now tell us what gift you have, for we have become comrades." The king said, "If anyone seizes my comrades, I will escape, though they may be taken, and if the king captures them, and they are taken away to be hanged, if I shake my head no one will hang them, and they, too, will go free." Then the five of them set out in company to commit a burglary. The king said, "I know where the money is kept in the king's palace; let us carry off that money." When they came near the palace they said to the first thief, "Now the watchmen are near us, give a cough." He coughed, and the watchmen became blind. Then they said to the second, "Now show your accomplishment, and open the door." He laid his hand on the door, and said, "Bismillah," and the door opened. Then a jackal howled and a dog barked, and one of them said to the third, "What did the jackal and dog say?" He said, "The jackal said to the dog, 'Thieves are breaking into the king's palace, why do you keep silent?' and the dog answered, 'What can I do, when the king is breaking into his own palace?'" They all said to him, "Your power is only pretence; you understand nothing; how could the king break into his own house?" Then they took two boxes full of treasure out of the palace, and carried them out and hid them. Then the king said, "It is now morning, go to such and such a faqīr's house, I will go to my own house, which is in the town, and next night we will come and take out the money and divide it." They concealed the money, and the four thieves went to the faqīr's house. The king went to his home, and made a proclamation that his palace had been broken into, and summoned his men to arrest the thieves. When the people had assembled, the king said, "My thieves are not here; go and arrest four men who are at such and such a faqīr's house." They arrested the four men, and brought them before the king.
