in addition
to what they had. Upon that they lay down there without more ado, being
minded to drink, and they took him into their company and invited him
to remain with them and join them in their drinking: so he (as may be
supposed) was persuaded and stayed. Then as they in their drinking bade
him welcome in a friendly manner, he made a present to them also of
another of the skins; and so at length having drunk liberally the guards
became completely intoxicated; and being overcome by sleep they went to
bed on the spot where they had been drinking. He then, as it was now far
on in the night, first took down the body of his brother, and then in
mockery shaved the right cheeks of all the guards; and after that he
put the dead body upon the asses and drove them away home, having
accomplished that which was enjoined him by his mother. Upon this the
king, when it was reported to him that the dead body of the thief had
been stolen away, displayed great anger; and desiring by all means that
it should be found out who it might be who devised these things, did
this (so at least they said, but I do not believe the account),--he
caused his own daughter to sit in the stews, and enjoined her to receive
all equally, and before having commerce with any one to compel him to
tell her what was the most cunning and what the most unholy deed which
had been done by him in all his life-time; and whosoever should relate
that which had happened about the thief, him she must seize and not let
him go out. Then as she was doing that which was enjoined by her father,
the thief, hearing for what purpose this was done and having a desire to
get the better of the king in resource, did thus:--from the body of one
lately dead he cut off the arm at the shoulder and went with it under
his mantle: and having gone in to the daughter of the king, and being
asked that which the others also were asked, he related that he had done
the most unholy deed when he cut off the head of his brother, who had
been caught in a trap in the king's treasure-chamber, and the most
cunning deed in that he made drunk the guards and took down the dead
body of his brother hanging up; and she when she heard it tried to take
hold of him, but the thief held out to her in the darkness the arm of
the corpse, which she grasped and held, thinking that she was holding
the arm of the man himself; but the thief left it in her hands and
departed, escaping through the door. Now when this also