All Sources Back to catalog Fairytalez Open source Ririro Open source Grimm CMU Open source

Grimm CMU · Grimm's Fairy Tales

The Master-Thief

135-the-master-thief

Source URL https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/135.txt

Review Status Pending

Original Rule Cleanup TTS Cleanup Child Rewrite Compare Original vs Rule Cleanup Compare Original vs TTS Cleanup Compare Original vs Child Rewrite Compare Rule Cleanup vs TTS Cleanup Compare TTS Cleanup vs Child Rewrite

TTS Cleanup vs Child Rewrite

TTS Cleanup from speech_safe_chunks · Child Rewrite from child_friendly_chunks

TTS Cleanup

Child Rewrite

v2 ¶1

One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.

v3 ¶1

One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of their cozy house, resting from their work. Suddenly, a beautiful carriage with four shiny black horses drove up. A richly dressed man stepped out. The old man stood up, walked over to the great man, and asked what he needed. The stranger smiled and said, "I just want to enjoy a country meal. Please cook me some potatoes the way you always do. Then I will sit at your table and eat them happily." The old man smiled back and said, "You look like a count or a prince. Noble people often have such fun wishes, but you shall have yours.

v2 ¶2

The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.

v3 ¶2

Then the wife went into the kitchen. She washed the potatoes and rolled them into soft balls. While she worked, the stranger asked the peasant to walk with him into the garden. They had dug some holes there, and the man wanted to plant trees. "Do you have children?" the stranger asked. "No," the peasant answered. "I did have a son, but he left home a long time ago. He was clever, but he was lazy and played too many tricks. He ran away from me, and I have not heard from him since.

v2 ¶3

The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you do not tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and misshapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.

v3 ¶3

The old man took a small tree and put it in a hole. He put a strong post beside it. He shoveled the dirt in and pressed it down tight. Then, he tied the tree to the post with a soft rope of straw. But the stranger asked, "Why do you not tie that crooked tree in the corner? It is lying on the ground. If you tie it to a post, it might grow straight, just like the others." The old man smiled gently. "Sir, you speak like you know a lot about plants," he said. "But you are not a gardener. That tree is old and strange. It cannot be fixed now. Trees must be trained when they are young.

v2 ¶4

That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.

v3 ¶4

That is how it was with your son," said the stranger. "If you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen." "Truly it is a long time since he went away," replied the old man. "He must have changed." "Would you know him again if he were to come to you?" asked the stranger. "Hardly by his face," replied the peasant. "But he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean." When he had said that, the stranger pulled off his coat and bared his shoulder. He showed the peasant the bean. "Good God!" cried the old man. "You are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart." "But," he added, "how can you be my son? You have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury.

v2 ¶5

Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.

v3 ¶5

How have you contrived to do that?

v2 ¶6

He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.

v3 ¶6

Father," answered the son, "the young tree was tied to a post and grew crooked. Now it is too old, and it will never be straight again. How did this happen? I became a thief, but do not worry. I am a master thief. For me, there are no locks or bolts. Whatever I want is mine. Do not think I steal like a common thief. I only take a little extra from the rich. Poor people are safe. I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything that is easy to get. I never touch it. Alas, my son," said the father, "it still does not please me. A thief is still a thief. I tell you, it will end badly.

v2 ¶7

When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.

v3 ¶7

He took him to his mother. When she heard that was her son, she cried happy tears. But when he told her he was a master-thief, she cried sad tears too. At last, she said, "Even if he is a thief, he is still my son. I am just so happy to see him again." They sat down to eat. He ate the simple food with his parents again. The father said, "If the Count up in the castle finds out who you are, he will not hug you like he did at your baptism. He will be very angry." "Don't worry, Father," the son said. "He will not hurt me. I know my job very well. I will go to him right now.

v2 ¶8

The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.

v3 ¶8

As the sun began to set, the clever thief got into his carriage and drove to the castle. The Count was very polite to him at first. But when the stranger told him who he was, the Count went pale and was very quiet. Finally, the Count spoke. "You are my godson," he said. "Because of this, I will be kind to you. I will not be angry. But since you are so proud of being a thief, I will test your skills. If you fail, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and you will have to sing to the sound of a raven's croak." The master-thief smiled and said, "My Lord Count, please think of three very hard tasks. If I cannot do them, you may do whatever you want with me.

v2 ¶9

He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.

v3 ¶9

The Count thought for a few minutes. Then he said, "First, you must steal my horse from the stable. Next, you must take the sheet from under my wife and me while we sleep. Also, you must take my wife's wedding ring. Finally, you must take the parson and the clerk out of the church. Listen carefully, because your life depends on it." The master-thief went to the nearest town. There, he bought clothes that looked like an old woman's. He put them on and stained his face brown. He even painted wrinkles on it so no one would know who he was. Then, he filled a small barrel with old wine mixed with a strong sleeping potion.

v2 ¶10

I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.

v3 ¶10

He put the cask in a basket and carried it on his back. He walked slowly to the castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat on a stone in the yard and began to cough. He rubbed his hands as if he were cold. Some soldiers were sitting near a fire in front of the stable. One of them saw the woman and called out, "Come here, old mother, and warm yourself by our fire. You have no bed for the night, so you must take one where you can find it." The old woman walked up to them. She asked them to lift the basket from her back. Then she sat down by the fire. "What do you have in your little cask, old hag?" asked one of the men. "A good drink of wine," she answered.

v2 ¶11

It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.

v3 ¶11

I live by trade, and I am happy to share a glass of wine with you. "Let us have it here," said the soldier. When he tasted it, he said, "This is good! I would like another glass." So, he had another poured out for himself, and the others followed his example. "Hello, friends!" cried one of them to the others in the stable. "Look at this old lady! She has wine that is as old as she is. Come and have a drink. It will warm your tummies much better than our fire." The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One soldier sat on the horse, another held the reins, and a third held the tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.

v2 ¶12

He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.

v3 ¶12

Soon, the bridle slipped from the first man's hand. He fell down and started to snore loudly. The other man let go of the horse's tail and lay down, snoring even harder. The man sitting on the horse stayed still. He bent his head down to the horse's neck and slept, blowing air out of his mouth like a bellows. The soldiers outside had been asleep for a long time, too. They lay on the ground quietly, looking very still. The master-thief saw that he had tricked them. He gave the first man a rope to hold instead of the bridle. He gave the second man a small piece of straw. But what was he going to do with the man on the horse? He did not want to throw him down, because the man might wake up and shout.

v2 ¶13

Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things will not go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.

v3 ¶13

He had a clever idea. He untied the ropes from the wall and tied them to the saddle. Then, he pulled the sleeping rider up into the air. He twisted the rope around the posts to make it safe. He let the horse go free. But if the horse walked on the hard stone, the people in the castle would hear the noise. So, he wrapped the horse's hooves in soft old rags. He led the horse out very carefully and jumped on his back. He galloped away fast. When the sun came up, the master rode the horse back to the castle. The Count was just waking up and looking out the window. "Good morning, sir Count," he called out. "Here is the horse. I brought it out of the stable safely.

v2 ¶14

The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.

v3 ¶14

Just look how nicely your soldiers are sleeping. If you go into the stable, you will see how cozy your guards have made it for themselves. The Count could not help laughing. Then he said, "You have done this once, but things will not go so well the next time. I warn you that if you come to me as a thief, I will treat you like a thief." When the Countess went to bed that night, she held her wedding ring tight in her hand. The Count said, "All the doors are locked and bolted. I will stay awake and wait for the thief. But if he gets in through the window, I will shoot him.

v2 ¶15

Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.

v3 ¶15

The master-thief crept quietly into the dark night. He found a poor man hanging there and gently cut him down. He carried the man on his back all the way to the castle. He set up a tall ladder to the bedroom. He put the man on his shoulders and began to climb. When the man's head showed at the window, the Count woke up. He fired a gun at the thief. The master-thief was scared. He let the poor man fall down. He climbed down the ladder and hid in a dark corner. The moon was bright enough to see everything. The Count climbed out of the window. He carried the man into the garden and dug a soft hole to put him in.

v2 ¶16

She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.

v3 ¶16

Now, the thief thought, *This is my chance.* He moved quickly out of the corner and climbed the ladder straight up to the Countess's bedroom. "Dear wife," he said in the Count's voice, "The thief is dead. But he is my godson, and he has been more of a troublemaker than a bad man. I will not put him to open shame. Besides, I feel sorry for his parents. I will bury him myself before the sun comes up, so no one will know. So, please give me the sheet. I will wrap him up in it, and I won't bury him like a dog." The Countess gave him the sheet. "I tell you what," the thief continued, "I am feeling very generous. Give me the ring, too. The poor man risked his life for it, so he can take it with him into his grave.

v2 ¶17

But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.

v3 ¶17

She did not argue with the Count. Even though she did not want to, she took the ring off her finger and gave it to him. The thief ran away with both things. He got home safely before the Count finished digging in the garden. The Count looked very sad the next morning when the Master brought him the sheet and the ring. "Are you a wizard?" asked the Count. "Did you come out of the grave I put you in and bring yourself back to life?" "I did not bury you," said the thief. "I buried the poor man on the gallows." He told the Count exactly what happened. The Count had to admit that the thief was clever and very tricky.

v2 ¶18

When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.

v3 ¶18

But you are not finished yet," he said. "You still have one last task to do. If you fail, it will all be for nothing." The master just smiled and did not answer. When the sun went down, he put on a big sack and carried a bundle. He held a small lantern in his hand. He walked to the village church. In the sack, he had some crabs. In the bundle, he had short, fat candles. He sat down in the churchyard. He took a crab out of the sack and stuck a candle on its back. Then he lit the little light and put the crab on the ground to walk. He did the same thing with the next crab, and the next, until all the crabs were out of the sack. Finally, he put on a long black coat that looked like a monk's robe. He also stuck a gray beard on his chin.

v2 ¶19

The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.

v3 ¶19

When he looked like a stranger, he picked up the sack where the crabs had been. He walked into the church and climbed up to the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve. When the last sound faded, he shouted in a loud voice, "Listen, sinful people, the end of the world is here! The last day is coming. Listen! Listen! If you want to go to heaven with me, you must crawl inside this sack. I am Peter, and I open and close the gate to heaven. Look at the dead people outside in the churchyard. They are walking around and looking for their bones. Come, come, and crawl inside the sack. The world is about to end!" His cry rang out through the whole village.

v2 ¶20

The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.

v3 ¶20

The parson and the clerk who lived closest to the church were the first to hear it. They saw the lights moving around the churchyard and knew something special was happening. They went inside to listen to the sermon. After a while, the clerk nudged the parson and whispered, "It would be nice if we used this chance to find an easy way to heaven before the sun comes up." "That is exactly what I have been thinking," the parson replied. "If you are ready, let us go." "Yes," said the clerk, "but since you are the pastor, you should go first. I will follow." So the parson went ahead and climbed into the pulpit. The Master opened his sack, and the parson crept inside. Then, the clerk followed him in.

v2 ¶21

Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since.

v3 ¶21

The master tied the sack up very tight. He picked it up and dragged it down the stairs. When the heads bumped against the steps, he said, "We are going over the mountains." He dragged them through the village like that. When they went through puddles, he said, "Now we are going through wet clouds." Finally, he dragged them up the steps of the castle. He said, "Now we are on the steps of heaven, and we will soon be in the garden." When he reached the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon house. The pigeons fluttered their wings. He said, "Hark! How glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings." Then he locked the door and went away.

v3 ¶22

The next morning, the Master-Thief went to the Count. He told him that he had done the third task, too. He had carried the parson and the clerk out of the church. "Where did you leave them?" asked the Lord. "They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house," the thief said. "And I made them think they are in heaven." The Count went up to check. He saw that the Master-Thief had told the truth. When he let the parson and clerk go free, he said, "You are a clever trickster, and you won your game. But this time, you are safe. Just promise me that you will leave my land forever. If I ever see you here again, you will be in big trouble." The Master-Thief said goodbye to his parents. He went out into the wide world one last time. And that is the last anyone has ever heard of him.

Raw JSON

{
"cleanup_version": "v3",
"cleanup_mode": "child_simplification",
"source_file": "story.json",
"source_v1_file": "story_v1.json",
"source_sha256": "60b095d2fa1150a7dc7e751e0c424bd6eba90dbf388c13716b27d7b97fbeb0d1",
"source_v1_sha256": "d16d4280344a6ffa2591e49943c7bfc67bc6ca2980ac75ff412472b35daee1a1",
"source_title": "The Master-Thief",
"tts_title": "The Master-Thief",
"speech_safe_title": "The Master-Thief",
"kind": "story",
"canonical_url": "https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/135.txt",
"slug": "the-master-thief",
"story_dirname": "135-the-master-thief",
"section_slug": null,
"title": "The Master-Thief",
"author": null,
"publisher_label": null,
"source_version": null,
"content_type": null,
"language": null,
"summary": null,
"clean_summary": null,
"body": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish. The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him. The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you don't tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and mis-shapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young. That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that. Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly. He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day. When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will. The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink. He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered. I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry. It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry. He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable. Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him. The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it. Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave. She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief. But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin. When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village. The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk. The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away. Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"body_text": "One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish. The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him. The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you don't tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and mis-shapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young. That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that. Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly. He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day. When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will. The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink. He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered. I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry. It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry. He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable. Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him. The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it. Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave. She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief. But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin. When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village. The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk. The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away. Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since.",
"clean_body": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish. The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him. The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you don't tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and mis-shapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young. That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that. Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly. He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day. When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will. The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink. He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered. I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry. It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry. He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable. Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him. The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it. Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave. She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief. But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin. When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village. The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk. The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away. Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"clean_text": "One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish. The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him. The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you don't tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and mis-shapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young. That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that. Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly. He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day. When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will. The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink. He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered. I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry. It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry. He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable. Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him. The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it. Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave. She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief. But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin. When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village. The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk. The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away. Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since.",
"tts_chunks": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.",
"The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.",
"The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you don't tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and mis-shapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.",
"Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.",
"When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.",
"The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.",
"He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.",
"I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.",
"He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.",
"Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.",
"Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.",
"She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.",
"But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.",
"The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.",
"The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.",
"Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"speech_safe_body": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.",
"The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.",
"The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you do not tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and misshapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.",
"Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.",
"When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.",
"The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.",
"He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.",
"I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.",
"He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.",
"Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things will not go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.",
"Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.",
"She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.",
"But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.",
"The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.",
"The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.",
"Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"speech_safe_text": "One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.\n\nThe wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.\n\nThe old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you do not tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and misshapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.\n\nThat is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.\n\nAh, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.\n\nHe took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.\n\nWhen evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.\n\nThe count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.\n\nHe put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.\n\nI live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.\n\nIt was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.\n\nHe had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.\n\nJust look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things will not go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.\n\nThe master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.\n\nNow, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.\n\nShe would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.\n\nBut you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.\n\nWhen at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.\n\nThe parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.\n\nThe master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.\n\nNext morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since.",
"speech_safe_chunks": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.",
"The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.",
"The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you do not tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and misshapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.",
"Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.",
"When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.",
"The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.",
"He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.",
"I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.",
"He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.",
"Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things will not go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.",
"Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.",
"She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.",
"But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.",
"The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.",
"The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.",
"Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"theme_slugs": null,
"listing_memberships": null,
"reading_meta": null,
"media": null,
"asset_refs": null,
"breadcrumbs": null,
"scraped_at": "2026-05-08T18:04:50Z",
"age_suitability": {
"label": "All ages",
"min_age": 0,
"content_flags": [],
"reason": "The title and summary do not contain any content that would suggest age restrictions."
},
"pronunciation_notes": [
{
"term": "watchers",
"hint": "WATCH-ers",
"reason": "The word 'watchers' is a noun, and the stress is on the first syllable."
},
{
"term": "thief",
"hint": "THIEF",
"reason": "The word 'thief' is a noun, and the stress is on the first syllable."
},
{
"term": "wedding-ring",
"hint": "WED-ding-ring",
"reason": "The compound noun 'wedding-ring' has primary stress on the first element."
}
],
"llm_changes": [
{
"paragraph_index": 3,
"type": "expand_contraction",
"before": "don't",
"after": "do not",
"reason": "Expanded contraction for speech safety."
},
{
"paragraph_index": 3,
"type": "expand_contraction",
"before": "it's",
"after": "it is",
"reason": "Expanded contraction for speech safety."
},
{
"paragraph_index": 13,
"type": "no_change",
"before": "Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"after": "Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things won't go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"reason": "The paragraph is already in a speech-safe format."
}
],
"llm_flags": [
"paragraph_skipped_no_llm_needed"
],
"review_status": "needs_review",
"stats": {
"v1_paragraph_count": 1,
"v2_paragraph_count": 21,
"speech_safe_chunk_count": 21,
"input_unit_type": "tts_chunks",
"input_unit_count": 21,
"paragraph_calls": 2,
"subchunk_calls": 0,
"paragraph_skipped_calls": 19,
"paragraph_fallback_calls": 0,
"v3_source_paragraph_count": 21,
"v3_paragraph_count": 21,
"v3_chunk_count": 22,
"v3_paragraph_calls": 21
},
"source_v2_file": "story_v2.json",
"source_v2_sha256": "8867449d489e3976d0f80f5e7f35771d65d5d9a5741141798fe848ac285a5b50",
"source_v2_text_field": "speech_safe_chunks",
"source_v2_paragraphs": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. Suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. The peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could serve him. The stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, I want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish, cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then I will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure. The peasant smiled and said, you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke, noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish.",
"The wife then went into the kitchen and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. Whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, come into my garden with me for a while, I have still something to do there. He had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant trees in them. Have you no children, asked the stranger, who could help you with your work. No, answered the peasant, I had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. He was a ne'er-do-well, clever and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks. At last he ran away from me, and since then I have heard nothing of him.",
"The old man took a young tree, put it in a hole, drove in a post beside it, and when he had shovelled in some earth and had trampled it firmly down, he tied the stem of the tree above, below, and in the middle, fast to the post by a rope of straw. But tell me, said the stranger, why you do not tie that crooked knotted tree, which is lying in the corner there, bent down almost to the ground, to a post also that it may grow straight, as well as these. The old man smiled and said, sir, you speak according to your knowledge, it is easy to see that you are not familiar with gardening. That tree there is old, and misshapen, no one can make it straight now. Trees must be trained while they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son, said the stranger, if you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen. Truly it is a long time since he went away, replied the old man, he must have changed. Would you know him again if he were to come to you, asked the stranger. Hardly by his face, replied the peasant, but he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean. When he had said that the stranger pulled off his coat, bared his shoulder, and showed the peasant the bean. Good God, cried the old man, you are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart. But, he added, how can you be my son, you have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that.",
"Ah, father, answered the son, the young tree was bound to no post and has grown crooked. Now it is too old, it will never be straight again. How have I come by all this. I have become a thief, but do not be alarmed, I am a master-thief. For me there are neither locks nor bolts, whatsoever I desire is mine. Do not imagine that I steal like a common thief, I only take some of the superfluity of the rich. Poor people are safe, I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything which I can have without trouble, cunning, and dexterity - I never touch it. Alas, my son, said the father, it still does not please me, a thief is still a thief, I tell you it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother, and when she heard that was her son, she wept for joy, but when he told her that he had become a master-thief, two streams flowed down over her face. At length she said, even if he has become a thief, he is still my son, and my eyes have beheld him once more. They sat down to table, and once again he ate with his parents the wretched food which he had not eaten for so long. The father said, if our lord, the count up there in the castle, learns who you are, and what trade you follow, he will not take you in his arms and cradle you in them as he did when he held you at the font, but will cause you to swing from a halter. Be easy, father, he will do me no harm, for I understand my trade. I will go to him myself this very day.",
"When evening drew near, the master-thief seated himself in his carriage, and drove to the castle. The count received him civilly, for he took him for a distinguished man. When, however, the stranger made himself known, the count turned pale and was quite silent for some time. At length he said, you are my godson, and on that account mercy shall take the place of justice, and I will deal leniently with you. Since you pride yourself on being a master-thief, I will put your art to the proof, but if you do not stand the test, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and the croaking of the raven must be your music on the occasion. Lord count, answered the master-thief, think of three things, as difficult as you like, and if I do not perform your tasks, do with me what you will.",
"The count reflected for some minutes, and then said, well, then, in the first place, you shall steal the horse I keep for my own riding, out of the stable. In the next, you shall steal the sheet from beneath the bodies of my wife and myself when we are asleep, without our observing it, and the wedding-ring of my wife as well. Thirdly and lastly, you shall steal away out of the church, the parson and clerk. Mark what I am saying, for your life depends on it. The master-thief went to the nearest town, there he bought the clothes of an old peasant woman, and put them on. Then he stained his face brown, and painted wrinkles on it as well, so that no one could have recognized him. Then he filled a small cask with old hungary wine in which was mixed a powerful sleeping-drink.",
"He put the cask in a basket, which he took on his back, and walked with slow and tottering steps to the count's castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat down on a stone in the court-yard and began to cough, like an asthmatic old woman, and to rub his hands as if he were cold. In front of the door of the stable some soldiers were lying round a fire, one of them observed the woman, and called out to her, come nearer, old mother, and warm yourself beside us. After all, you have no bed for the night, and must take one where you can find it. The old woman tottered up to them, begged them to lift the basket from her back, and sat down beside them at the fire. What have you got in your little cask, old hag, asked one. A good mouthful of wine, she answered.",
"I live by trade, for money and fair words I am quite ready to let you have a glass. Let us have it here, then, said the soldier, and when he had tasted one glass he said, when wine is good, I like another glass, and had another poured out for himself, and the rest followed his example. Hallo, comrades, cried one of them to those who were in the stable, here is an old girl who has wine that is as old as herself, take a draught, it will warm your stomachs far better than our fire. The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One of the soldiers had seated himself on the saddled riding-horse, another held its bridle in his hand, a third had laid hold of its tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"It was not long before the bridle fell from the hand of the one, and he fell down and began to snore, the other left hold of the tail, lay down and snored still louder. The one who was sitting in the saddle, did remain sitting, but bent his head down almost to the horse's neck, and slept and blew with his mouth like the bellows of a forge. The soldiers outside had already been asleep for a long time, and were lying on the ground motionless, as if dead. When the master-thief saw that he had succeeded, he gave the first a rope in his hand instead of the bridle, and the other who had been holding the tail, a wisp of straw, but what was he to do with the one who was sitting on the horse's back. He did not want to throw him down, for he might have awakened and have uttered a cry.",
"He had a good idea, he unbuckled the girths of the saddle, tied a couple of ropes which were hanging to a ring on the wall fast to the saddle, and drew the sleeping rider up into the air on it, then he twisted the rope round the posts, and made it fast. He soon unloosed the horse from the chain, but if he had ridden over the stony pavement of the yard they would have heard the noise in the castle. So he wrapped the horse's hoofs in old rags, led him carefully out, leapt upon him, and galloped off. When day broke, the master galloped to the castle on the stolen horse. The count had just got up, and was looking out of the window. Good morning, sir count, he cried to him, here is the horse, which I have got safely out of the stable.",
"Just look, how beautifully your soldiers are lying there sleeping, and if you will but go into the stable, you will see how comfortable your watchers have made it for themselves. The count could not help laughing. Then he said, for once you have succeeded, but things will not go so well the second time, and I warn you that if you come before me as a thief, I will handle you as I would a thief. When the countess went to bed that night, she closed her hand with the wedding-ring tightly together, and the count said, all the doors are locked and bolted, I will keep awake and wait for the thief, but if he gets in by the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief, however, went in the dark to the gallows, cut a poor sinner who was hanging there down from the halter, and carried him on his back to the castle. Then he set a ladder up to the bedroom, put the dead body on his shoulders, and began to climb up. When he had got so high that the head of the dead man showed at the window, the count, who was watching in his bed, fired a pistol at him, and immediately the master let the poor sinner fall down, descended the ladder, and hid himself in one corner. The night was sufficiently lighted by the moon, for the master to see distinctly how the count got out of the window on to the ladder, came down, carried the dead body into the garden, and began to dig a hole in which to lay it.",
"Now, thought the thief, the favorable moment has come, stole nimbly out of his corner, and climbed up the ladder straight into the countess's bedroom. Dear wife, he began in the count's voice, the thief is dead, but, after all, he is my godson, and has been more of a scape-grace than a villain. I will not put him to open shame, besides, I am sorry for the parents. I will bury him myself before daybreak in the garden, that the thing may not be known. So give me the sheet, I will wrap up the body in it, and not bury him like a dog. The countess gave him the sheet. I tell you what, continued the thief, I have a fit of magnanimity, give me the ring too, - the unhappy man risked his life for it, so he may take it with him into his grave.",
"She would not gainsay the count, and although she did it unwillingly she drew the ring from her finger, and gave it to him. The thief made off with both these things, and reached home safely before the count in the garden had finished his work of burying. What a long face the count did pull when the master came next morning, and brought him the sheet and the ring. Are you a wizard, said he, who has fetched you out of the grave in which I myself laid you, and brought you to life again. You did not bury me, said the thief, but the poor sinner on the gallows, and he told him exactly how everything had happened, and the count was forced to own to him that he was a clever, crafty thief.",
"But you have not reached the end yet, he added, you have still to perform the third task, and if you do not succeed in that, all is of no use. The master smiled and returned no answer. When night had fallen he went with a long sack on his back, a bundle under his arms, and a lantern in his hand to the village church. In the sack he had some crabs, and in the bundle short wax-candles. He sat down in the churchyard, took out a crab, and stuck a wax-candle on his back. Then he lighted the little light, put the crab on the ground, and let it creep about. He took a second out of the sack, and treated it in the same way, and so on until the last was out of the sack. Hereupon he put on a long black garment that looked like a monk's cowl, and stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When at last he was quite unrecognizable, he took the sack in which the crabs had been, went into the church, and ascended the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve, when the last stroke had sounded, he cried with a loud and piercing voice, hearken, sinful men, the end of all things has come. The last day is at hand. Hearken. Hearken. Whosoever wishes to go to heaven with me must creep into the sack. I am peter, who opens and shuts the gate of heaven. Behold how the dead outside there in the chuchyard are wandering about collecting their bones. Come, come, and creep into the sack, the world is about to be destroyed. The cry echoed through the whole village.",
"The parson and clerk who lived nearest to the church, heard it first, and when they saw the lights which were moving about the churchyard, they observed that something unusual was going on, and went into the church. They listened to the sermon for a while, and then the clerk nudged the parson and said, it would not be amiss if we were to use the opportunity together, and before the dawning of the last day, find an easy way of getting to heaven. To tell the truth, answered the parson, that is what I myself have been thinking, so if you are inclined, we will set out on our way. Yes, answered the clerk, but you, the pastor, have the precedence, I will follow. So the parson went first, and ascended the pulpit where the master opened his sack. The parson crept in first, and then the clerk.",
"The master immediately tied up the sack tightly, seized it by the middle, and dragged it down the pulpit-steps, and whenever the heads of the two fools bumped against the steps, he cried, we are going over the mountains. Then he drew them through the village in the same way, and when they were passing through puddles, he cried, now we are going through wet clouds. And when at last he was dragging them up the steps of the castle, he cried, now we are on the steps of heaven, and will soon be in the outer court. When he had got to the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon-house, and when the pigeons fluttered about, he said, hark how glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings. Then he bolted the door upon them, and went away.",
"Next morning he went to the count, and told him that he had performed the third task also, and had carried the parson and clerk out of the church. Where have you left them, asked the Lord. They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house, and imagine that they are in heaven. The count went up himself, and convinced himself that the master had told the truth. When he had delivered the parson and clerk from their captivity, he said, you are an arch-thief, and have won your wager. For once you escape with a whole skin, but see that you leave my land, for if ever you set foot on it again, you may count on your elevation to the gallows. The arch-thief took leave of his parents, once more went forth into the wide world, and no one has ever heard of him since."
],
"child_friendly_title": "The Master-Thief",
"child_friendly_body": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of their cozy house, resting from their work. Suddenly, a beautiful carriage with four shiny black horses drove up. A richly dressed man stepped out. The old man stood up, walked over to the great man, and asked what he needed. The stranger smiled and said, \"I just want to enjoy a country meal. Please cook me some potatoes the way you always do. Then I will sit at your table and eat them happily.\" The old man smiled back and said, \"You look like a count or a prince. Noble people often have such fun wishes, but you shall have yours.",
"Then the wife went into the kitchen. She washed the potatoes and rolled them into soft balls. While she worked, the stranger asked the peasant to walk with him into the garden. They had dug some holes there, and the man wanted to plant trees. \"Do you have children?\" the stranger asked. \"No,\" the peasant answered. \"I did have a son, but he left home a long time ago. He was clever, but he was lazy and played too many tricks. He ran away from me, and I have not heard from him since.",
"The old man took a small tree and put it in a hole. He put a strong post beside it. He shoveled the dirt in and pressed it down tight. Then, he tied the tree to the post with a soft rope of straw. But the stranger asked, \"Why do you not tie that crooked tree in the corner? It is lying on the ground. If you tie it to a post, it might grow straight, just like the others.\" The old man smiled gently. \"Sir, you speak like you know a lot about plants,\" he said. \"But you are not a gardener. That tree is old and strange. It cannot be fixed now. Trees must be trained when they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son,\" said the stranger. \"If you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen.\"\n\n\"Truly it is a long time since he went away,\" replied the old man. \"He must have changed.\"\n\n\"Would you know him again if he were to come to you?\" asked the stranger.\n\n\"Hardly by his face,\" replied the peasant. \"But he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean.\"\n\nWhen he had said that, the stranger pulled off his coat and bared his shoulder. He showed the peasant the bean.\n\n\"Good God!\" cried the old man. \"You are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart.\"\n\n\"But,\" he added, \"how can you be my son? You have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that?",
"Father,\" answered the son, \"the young tree was tied to a post and grew crooked. Now it is too old, and it will never be straight again. How did this happen? I became a thief, but do not worry. I am a master thief. For me, there are no locks or bolts. Whatever I want is mine. Do not think I steal like a common thief. I only take a little extra from the rich. Poor people are safe. I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything that is easy to get. I never touch it. Alas, my son,\" said the father, \"it still does not please me. A thief is still a thief. I tell you, it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother. When she heard that was her son, she cried happy tears. But when he told her he was a master-thief, she cried sad tears too. At last, she said, \"Even if he is a thief, he is still my son. I am just so happy to see him again.\" They sat down to eat. He ate the simple food with his parents again. The father said, \"If the Count up in the castle finds out who you are, he will not hug you like he did at your baptism. He will be very angry.\" \"Don't worry, Father,\" the son said. \"He will not hurt me. I know my job very well. I will go to him right now.",
"As the sun began to set, the clever thief got into his carriage and drove to the castle. The Count was very polite to him at first. But when the stranger told him who he was, the Count went pale and was very quiet. Finally, the Count spoke. \"You are my godson,\" he said. \"Because of this, I will be kind to you. I will not be angry. But since you are so proud of being a thief, I will test your skills. If you fail, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and you will have to sing to the sound of a raven's croak.\" The master-thief smiled and said, \"My Lord Count, please think of three very hard tasks. If I cannot do them, you may do whatever you want with me.",
"The Count thought for a few minutes. Then he said, \"First, you must steal my horse from the stable. Next, you must take the sheet from under my wife and me while we sleep. Also, you must take my wife's wedding ring. Finally, you must take the parson and the clerk out of the church. Listen carefully, because your life depends on it.\"\n\nThe master-thief went to the nearest town. There, he bought clothes that looked like an old woman's. He put them on and stained his face brown. He even painted wrinkles on it so no one would know who he was. Then, he filled a small barrel with old wine mixed with a strong sleeping potion.",
"He put the cask in a basket and carried it on his back. He walked slowly to the castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat on a stone in the yard and began to cough. He rubbed his hands as if he were cold. Some soldiers were sitting near a fire in front of the stable. One of them saw the woman and called out, \"Come here, old mother, and warm yourself by our fire. You have no bed for the night, so you must take one where you can find it.\" The old woman walked up to them. She asked them to lift the basket from her back. Then she sat down by the fire. \"What do you have in your little cask, old hag?\" asked one of the men. \"A good drink of wine,\" she answered.",
"I live by trade, and I am happy to share a glass of wine with you. \"Let us have it here,\" said the soldier. When he tasted it, he said, \"This is good! I would like another glass.\" So, he had another poured out for himself, and the others followed his example. \"Hello, friends!\" cried one of them to the others in the stable. \"Look at this old lady! She has wine that is as old as she is. Come and have a drink. It will warm your tummies much better than our fire.\" The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One soldier sat on the horse, another held the reins, and a third held the tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"Soon, the bridle slipped from the first man's hand. He fell down and started to snore loudly. The other man let go of the horse's tail and lay down, snoring even harder. The man sitting on the horse stayed still. He bent his head down to the horse's neck and slept, blowing air out of his mouth like a bellows. The soldiers outside had been asleep for a long time, too. They lay on the ground quietly, looking very still. The master-thief saw that he had tricked them. He gave the first man a rope to hold instead of the bridle. He gave the second man a small piece of straw. But what was he going to do with the man on the horse? He did not want to throw him down, because the man might wake up and shout.",
"He had a clever idea. He untied the ropes from the wall and tied them to the saddle. Then, he pulled the sleeping rider up into the air. He twisted the rope around the posts to make it safe. He let the horse go free. But if the horse walked on the hard stone, the people in the castle would hear the noise. So, he wrapped the horse's hooves in soft old rags. He led the horse out very carefully and jumped on his back. He galloped away fast. When the sun came up, the master rode the horse back to the castle. The Count was just waking up and looking out the window. \"Good morning, sir Count,\" he called out. \"Here is the horse. I brought it out of the stable safely.",
"Just look how nicely your soldiers are sleeping. If you go into the stable, you will see how cozy your guards have made it for themselves. The Count could not help laughing. Then he said, \"You have done this once, but things will not go so well the next time. I warn you that if you come to me as a thief, I will treat you like a thief.\" When the Countess went to bed that night, she held her wedding ring tight in her hand. The Count said, \"All the doors are locked and bolted. I will stay awake and wait for the thief. But if he gets in through the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief crept quietly into the dark night. He found a poor man hanging there and gently cut him down. He carried the man on his back all the way to the castle. He set up a tall ladder to the bedroom. He put the man on his shoulders and began to climb. When the man's head showed at the window, the Count woke up. He fired a gun at the thief. The master-thief was scared. He let the poor man fall down. He climbed down the ladder and hid in a dark corner. The moon was bright enough to see everything. The Count climbed out of the window. He carried the man into the garden and dug a soft hole to put him in.",
"Now, the thief thought, *This is my chance.* He moved quickly out of the corner and climbed the ladder straight up to the Countess's bedroom.\n\n\"Dear wife,\" he said in the Count's voice, \"The thief is dead. But he is my godson, and he has been more of a troublemaker than a bad man. I will not put him to open shame. Besides, I feel sorry for his parents. I will bury him myself before the sun comes up, so no one will know. So, please give me the sheet. I will wrap him up in it, and I won't bury him like a dog.\"\n\nThe Countess gave him the sheet.\n\n\"I tell you what,\" the thief continued, \"I am feeling very generous. Give me the ring, too. The poor man risked his life for it, so he can take it with him into his grave.",
"She did not argue with the Count. Even though she did not want to, she took the ring off her finger and gave it to him. The thief ran away with both things. He got home safely before the Count finished digging in the garden. The Count looked very sad the next morning when the Master brought him the sheet and the ring. \"Are you a wizard?\" asked the Count. \"Did you come out of the grave I put you in and bring yourself back to life?\" \"I did not bury you,\" said the thief. \"I buried the poor man on the gallows.\" He told the Count exactly what happened. The Count had to admit that the thief was clever and very tricky.",
"But you are not finished yet,\" he said. \"You still have one last task to do. If you fail, it will all be for nothing.\" The master just smiled and did not answer. When the sun went down, he put on a big sack and carried a bundle. He held a small lantern in his hand. He walked to the village church. In the sack, he had some crabs. In the bundle, he had short, fat candles. He sat down in the churchyard. He took a crab out of the sack and stuck a candle on its back. Then he lit the little light and put the crab on the ground to walk. He did the same thing with the next crab, and the next, until all the crabs were out of the sack. Finally, he put on a long black coat that looked like a monk's robe. He also stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When he looked like a stranger, he picked up the sack where the crabs had been. He walked into the church and climbed up to the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve. When the last sound faded, he shouted in a loud voice, \"Listen, sinful people, the end of the world is here! The last day is coming. Listen! Listen! If you want to go to heaven with me, you must crawl inside this sack. I am Peter, and I open and close the gate to heaven. Look at the dead people outside in the churchyard. They are walking around and looking for their bones. Come, come, and crawl inside the sack. The world is about to end!\" His cry rang out through the whole village.",
"The parson and the clerk who lived closest to the church were the first to hear it. They saw the lights moving around the churchyard and knew something special was happening. They went inside to listen to the sermon. After a while, the clerk nudged the parson and whispered, \"It would be nice if we used this chance to find an easy way to heaven before the sun comes up.\" \"That is exactly what I have been thinking,\" the parson replied. \"If you are ready, let us go.\" \"Yes,\" said the clerk, \"but since you are the pastor, you should go first. I will follow.\" So the parson went ahead and climbed into the pulpit. The Master opened his sack, and the parson crept inside. Then, the clerk followed him in.",
"The master tied the sack up very tight. He picked it up and dragged it down the stairs. When the heads bumped against the steps, he said, \"We are going over the mountains.\" He dragged them through the village like that. When they went through puddles, he said, \"Now we are going through wet clouds.\" Finally, he dragged them up the steps of the castle. He said, \"Now we are on the steps of heaven, and we will soon be in the garden.\" When he reached the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon house. The pigeons fluttered their wings. He said, \"Hark! How glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings.\" Then he locked the door and went away.",
"The next morning, the Master-Thief went to the Count. He told him that he had done the third task, too. He had carried the parson and the clerk out of the church. \"Where did you leave them?\" asked the Lord. \"They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house,\" the thief said. \"And I made them think they are in heaven.\" The Count went up to check. He saw that the Master-Thief had told the truth. When he let the parson and clerk go free, he said, \"You are a clever trickster, and you won your game. But this time, you are safe. Just promise me that you will leave my land forever. If I ever see you here again, you will be in big trouble.\" The Master-Thief said goodbye to his parents. He went out into the wide world one last time. And that is the last anyone has ever heard of him."
],
"child_friendly_text": "One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of their cozy house, resting from their work. Suddenly, a beautiful carriage with four shiny black horses drove up. A richly dressed man stepped out. The old man stood up, walked over to the great man, and asked what he needed. The stranger smiled and said, \"I just want to enjoy a country meal. Please cook me some potatoes the way you always do. Then I will sit at your table and eat them happily.\" The old man smiled back and said, \"You look like a count or a prince. Noble people often have such fun wishes, but you shall have yours.\n\nThen the wife went into the kitchen. She washed the potatoes and rolled them into soft balls. While she worked, the stranger asked the peasant to walk with him into the garden. They had dug some holes there, and the man wanted to plant trees. \"Do you have children?\" the stranger asked. \"No,\" the peasant answered. \"I did have a son, but he left home a long time ago. He was clever, but he was lazy and played too many tricks. He ran away from me, and I have not heard from him since.\n\nThe old man took a small tree and put it in a hole. He put a strong post beside it. He shoveled the dirt in and pressed it down tight. Then, he tied the tree to the post with a soft rope of straw. But the stranger asked, \"Why do you not tie that crooked tree in the corner? It is lying on the ground. If you tie it to a post, it might grow straight, just like the others.\" The old man smiled gently. \"Sir, you speak like you know a lot about plants,\" he said. \"But you are not a gardener. That tree is old and strange. It cannot be fixed now. Trees must be trained when they are young.\n\nThat is how it was with your son,\" said the stranger. \"If you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen.\"\n\n\"Truly it is a long time since he went away,\" replied the old man. \"He must have changed.\"\n\n\"Would you know him again if he were to come to you?\" asked the stranger.\n\n\"Hardly by his face,\" replied the peasant. \"But he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean.\"\n\nWhen he had said that, the stranger pulled off his coat and bared his shoulder. He showed the peasant the bean.\n\n\"Good God!\" cried the old man. \"You are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart.\"\n\n\"But,\" he added, \"how can you be my son? You have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury. How have you contrived to do that?\n\nFather,\" answered the son, \"the young tree was tied to a post and grew crooked. Now it is too old, and it will never be straight again. How did this happen? I became a thief, but do not worry. I am a master thief. For me, there are no locks or bolts. Whatever I want is mine. Do not think I steal like a common thief. I only take a little extra from the rich. Poor people are safe. I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything that is easy to get. I never touch it. Alas, my son,\" said the father, \"it still does not please me. A thief is still a thief. I tell you, it will end badly.\n\nHe took him to his mother. When she heard that was her son, she cried happy tears. But when he told her he was a master-thief, she cried sad tears too. At last, she said, \"Even if he is a thief, he is still my son. I am just so happy to see him again.\" They sat down to eat. He ate the simple food with his parents again. The father said, \"If the Count up in the castle finds out who you are, he will not hug you like he did at your baptism. He will be very angry.\" \"Don't worry, Father,\" the son said. \"He will not hurt me. I know my job very well. I will go to him right now.\n\nAs the sun began to set, the clever thief got into his carriage and drove to the castle. The Count was very polite to him at first. But when the stranger told him who he was, the Count went pale and was very quiet. Finally, the Count spoke. \"You are my godson,\" he said. \"Because of this, I will be kind to you. I will not be angry. But since you are so proud of being a thief, I will test your skills. If you fail, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and you will have to sing to the sound of a raven's croak.\" The master-thief smiled and said, \"My Lord Count, please think of three very hard tasks. If I cannot do them, you may do whatever you want with me.\n\nThe Count thought for a few minutes. Then he said, \"First, you must steal my horse from the stable. Next, you must take the sheet from under my wife and me while we sleep. Also, you must take my wife's wedding ring. Finally, you must take the parson and the clerk out of the church. Listen carefully, because your life depends on it.\"\n\nThe master-thief went to the nearest town. There, he bought clothes that looked like an old woman's. He put them on and stained his face brown. He even painted wrinkles on it so no one would know who he was. Then, he filled a small barrel with old wine mixed with a strong sleeping potion.\n\nHe put the cask in a basket and carried it on his back. He walked slowly to the castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat on a stone in the yard and began to cough. He rubbed his hands as if he were cold. Some soldiers were sitting near a fire in front of the stable. One of them saw the woman and called out, \"Come here, old mother, and warm yourself by our fire. You have no bed for the night, so you must take one where you can find it.\" The old woman walked up to them. She asked them to lift the basket from her back. Then she sat down by the fire. \"What do you have in your little cask, old hag?\" asked one of the men. \"A good drink of wine,\" she answered.\n\nI live by trade, and I am happy to share a glass of wine with you. \"Let us have it here,\" said the soldier. When he tasted it, he said, \"This is good! I would like another glass.\" So, he had another poured out for himself, and the others followed his example. \"Hello, friends!\" cried one of them to the others in the stable. \"Look at this old lady! She has wine that is as old as she is. Come and have a drink. It will warm your tummies much better than our fire.\" The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One soldier sat on the horse, another held the reins, and a third held the tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.\n\nSoon, the bridle slipped from the first man's hand. He fell down and started to snore loudly. The other man let go of the horse's tail and lay down, snoring even harder. The man sitting on the horse stayed still. He bent his head down to the horse's neck and slept, blowing air out of his mouth like a bellows. The soldiers outside had been asleep for a long time, too. They lay on the ground quietly, looking very still. The master-thief saw that he had tricked them. He gave the first man a rope to hold instead of the bridle. He gave the second man a small piece of straw. But what was he going to do with the man on the horse? He did not want to throw him down, because the man might wake up and shout.\n\nHe had a clever idea. He untied the ropes from the wall and tied them to the saddle. Then, he pulled the sleeping rider up into the air. He twisted the rope around the posts to make it safe. He let the horse go free. But if the horse walked on the hard stone, the people in the castle would hear the noise. So, he wrapped the horse's hooves in soft old rags. He led the horse out very carefully and jumped on his back. He galloped away fast. When the sun came up, the master rode the horse back to the castle. The Count was just waking up and looking out the window. \"Good morning, sir Count,\" he called out. \"Here is the horse. I brought it out of the stable safely.\n\nJust look how nicely your soldiers are sleeping. If you go into the stable, you will see how cozy your guards have made it for themselves. The Count could not help laughing. Then he said, \"You have done this once, but things will not go so well the next time. I warn you that if you come to me as a thief, I will treat you like a thief.\" When the Countess went to bed that night, she held her wedding ring tight in her hand. The Count said, \"All the doors are locked and bolted. I will stay awake and wait for the thief. But if he gets in through the window, I will shoot him.\n\nThe master-thief crept quietly into the dark night. He found a poor man hanging there and gently cut him down. He carried the man on his back all the way to the castle. He set up a tall ladder to the bedroom. He put the man on his shoulders and began to climb. When the man's head showed at the window, the Count woke up. He fired a gun at the thief. The master-thief was scared. He let the poor man fall down. He climbed down the ladder and hid in a dark corner. The moon was bright enough to see everything. The Count climbed out of the window. He carried the man into the garden and dug a soft hole to put him in.\n\nNow, the thief thought, *This is my chance.* He moved quickly out of the corner and climbed the ladder straight up to the Countess's bedroom.\n\n\"Dear wife,\" he said in the Count's voice, \"The thief is dead. But he is my godson, and he has been more of a troublemaker than a bad man. I will not put him to open shame. Besides, I feel sorry for his parents. I will bury him myself before the sun comes up, so no one will know. So, please give me the sheet. I will wrap him up in it, and I won't bury him like a dog.\"\n\nThe Countess gave him the sheet.\n\n\"I tell you what,\" the thief continued, \"I am feeling very generous. Give me the ring, too. The poor man risked his life for it, so he can take it with him into his grave.\n\nShe did not argue with the Count. Even though she did not want to, she took the ring off her finger and gave it to him. The thief ran away with both things. He got home safely before the Count finished digging in the garden. The Count looked very sad the next morning when the Master brought him the sheet and the ring. \"Are you a wizard?\" asked the Count. \"Did you come out of the grave I put you in and bring yourself back to life?\" \"I did not bury you,\" said the thief. \"I buried the poor man on the gallows.\" He told the Count exactly what happened. The Count had to admit that the thief was clever and very tricky.\n\nBut you are not finished yet,\" he said. \"You still have one last task to do. If you fail, it will all be for nothing.\" The master just smiled and did not answer. When the sun went down, he put on a big sack and carried a bundle. He held a small lantern in his hand. He walked to the village church. In the sack, he had some crabs. In the bundle, he had short, fat candles. He sat down in the churchyard. He took a crab out of the sack and stuck a candle on its back. Then he lit the little light and put the crab on the ground to walk. He did the same thing with the next crab, and the next, until all the crabs were out of the sack. Finally, he put on a long black coat that looked like a monk's robe. He also stuck a gray beard on his chin.\n\nWhen he looked like a stranger, he picked up the sack where the crabs had been. He walked into the church and climbed up to the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve. When the last sound faded, he shouted in a loud voice, \"Listen, sinful people, the end of the world is here! The last day is coming. Listen! Listen! If you want to go to heaven with me, you must crawl inside this sack. I am Peter, and I open and close the gate to heaven. Look at the dead people outside in the churchyard. They are walking around and looking for their bones. Come, come, and crawl inside the sack. The world is about to end!\" His cry rang out through the whole village.\n\nThe parson and the clerk who lived closest to the church were the first to hear it. They saw the lights moving around the churchyard and knew something special was happening. They went inside to listen to the sermon. After a while, the clerk nudged the parson and whispered, \"It would be nice if we used this chance to find an easy way to heaven before the sun comes up.\" \"That is exactly what I have been thinking,\" the parson replied. \"If you are ready, let us go.\" \"Yes,\" said the clerk, \"but since you are the pastor, you should go first. I will follow.\" So the parson went ahead and climbed into the pulpit. The Master opened his sack, and the parson crept inside. Then, the clerk followed him in.\n\nThe master tied the sack up very tight. He picked it up and dragged it down the stairs. When the heads bumped against the steps, he said, \"We are going over the mountains.\" He dragged them through the village like that. When they went through puddles, he said, \"Now we are going through wet clouds.\" Finally, he dragged them up the steps of the castle. He said, \"Now we are on the steps of heaven, and we will soon be in the garden.\" When he reached the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon house. The pigeons fluttered their wings. He said, \"Hark! How glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings.\" Then he locked the door and went away.\n\nThe next morning, the Master-Thief went to the Count. He told him that he had done the third task, too. He had carried the parson and the clerk out of the church. \"Where did you leave them?\" asked the Lord. \"They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house,\" the thief said. \"And I made them think they are in heaven.\" The Count went up to check. He saw that the Master-Thief had told the truth. When he let the parson and clerk go free, he said, \"You are a clever trickster, and you won your game. But this time, you are safe. Just promise me that you will leave my land forever. If I ever see you here again, you will be in big trouble.\" The Master-Thief said goodbye to his parents. He went out into the wide world one last time. And that is the last anyone has ever heard of him.",
"child_friendly_chunks": [
"One day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of their cozy house, resting from their work. Suddenly, a beautiful carriage with four shiny black horses drove up. A richly dressed man stepped out. The old man stood up, walked over to the great man, and asked what he needed. The stranger smiled and said, \"I just want to enjoy a country meal. Please cook me some potatoes the way you always do. Then I will sit at your table and eat them happily.\" The old man smiled back and said, \"You look like a count or a prince. Noble people often have such fun wishes, but you shall have yours.",
"Then the wife went into the kitchen. She washed the potatoes and rolled them into soft balls. While she worked, the stranger asked the peasant to walk with him into the garden. They had dug some holes there, and the man wanted to plant trees. \"Do you have children?\" the stranger asked. \"No,\" the peasant answered. \"I did have a son, but he left home a long time ago. He was clever, but he was lazy and played too many tricks. He ran away from me, and I have not heard from him since.",
"The old man took a small tree and put it in a hole. He put a strong post beside it. He shoveled the dirt in and pressed it down tight. Then, he tied the tree to the post with a soft rope of straw. But the stranger asked, \"Why do you not tie that crooked tree in the corner? It is lying on the ground. If you tie it to a post, it might grow straight, just like the others.\" The old man smiled gently. \"Sir, you speak like you know a lot about plants,\" he said. \"But you are not a gardener. That tree is old and strange. It cannot be fixed now. Trees must be trained when they are young.",
"That is how it was with your son,\" said the stranger. \"If you had trained him while he was still young, he would not have run away. Now he too must have grown hard and mis-shapen.\" \"Truly it is a long time since he went away,\" replied the old man. \"He must have changed.\" \"Would you know him again if he were to come to you?\" asked the stranger. \"Hardly by his face,\" replied the peasant. \"But he has a mark about him, a birth-mark on his shoulder, that looks like a bean.\" When he had said that, the stranger pulled off his coat and bared his shoulder. He showed the peasant the bean. \"Good God!\" cried the old man. \"You are really my son, and love for his child stirred in his heart.\" \"But,\" he added, \"how can you be my son? You have become a great lord and live in wealth and luxury.",
"How have you contrived to do that?",
"Father,\" answered the son, \"the young tree was tied to a post and grew crooked. Now it is too old, and it will never be straight again. How did this happen? I became a thief, but do not worry. I am a master thief. For me, there are no locks or bolts. Whatever I want is mine. Do not think I steal like a common thief. I only take a little extra from the rich. Poor people are safe. I would rather give to them than take anything from them. It is the same with anything that is easy to get. I never touch it. Alas, my son,\" said the father, \"it still does not please me. A thief is still a thief. I tell you, it will end badly.",
"He took him to his mother. When she heard that was her son, she cried happy tears. But when he told her he was a master-thief, she cried sad tears too. At last, she said, \"Even if he is a thief, he is still my son. I am just so happy to see him again.\" They sat down to eat. He ate the simple food with his parents again. The father said, \"If the Count up in the castle finds out who you are, he will not hug you like he did at your baptism. He will be very angry.\" \"Don't worry, Father,\" the son said. \"He will not hurt me. I know my job very well. I will go to him right now.",
"As the sun began to set, the clever thief got into his carriage and drove to the castle. The Count was very polite to him at first. But when the stranger told him who he was, the Count went pale and was very quiet. Finally, the Count spoke. \"You are my godson,\" he said. \"Because of this, I will be kind to you. I will not be angry. But since you are so proud of being a thief, I will test your skills. If you fail, you must marry the rope-maker's daughter, and you will have to sing to the sound of a raven's croak.\" The master-thief smiled and said, \"My Lord Count, please think of three very hard tasks. If I cannot do them, you may do whatever you want with me.",
"The Count thought for a few minutes. Then he said, \"First, you must steal my horse from the stable. Next, you must take the sheet from under my wife and me while we sleep. Also, you must take my wife's wedding ring. Finally, you must take the parson and the clerk out of the church. Listen carefully, because your life depends on it.\"\n\nThe master-thief went to the nearest town. There, he bought clothes that looked like an old woman's. He put them on and stained his face brown. He even painted wrinkles on it so no one would know who he was. Then, he filled a small barrel with old wine mixed with a strong sleeping potion.",
"He put the cask in a basket and carried it on his back. He walked slowly to the castle. It was already dark when he arrived. He sat on a stone in the yard and began to cough. He rubbed his hands as if he were cold. Some soldiers were sitting near a fire in front of the stable. One of them saw the woman and called out, \"Come here, old mother, and warm yourself by our fire. You have no bed for the night, so you must take one where you can find it.\" The old woman walked up to them. She asked them to lift the basket from her back. Then she sat down by the fire. \"What do you have in your little cask, old hag?\" asked one of the men. \"A good drink of wine,\" she answered.",
"I live by trade, and I am happy to share a glass of wine with you. \"Let us have it here,\" said the soldier. When he tasted it, he said, \"This is good! I would like another glass.\" So, he had another poured out for himself, and the others followed his example. \"Hello, friends!\" cried one of them to the others in the stable. \"Look at this old lady! She has wine that is as old as she is. Come and have a drink. It will warm your tummies much better than our fire.\" The old woman carried her cask into the stable. One soldier sat on the horse, another held the reins, and a third held the tail. She poured out as much as they wanted until the spring ran dry.",
"Soon, the bridle slipped from the first man's hand. He fell down and started to snore loudly. The other man let go of the horse's tail and lay down, snoring even harder. The man sitting on the horse stayed still. He bent his head down to the horse's neck and slept, blowing air out of his mouth like a bellows. The soldiers outside had been asleep for a long time, too. They lay on the ground quietly, looking very still. The master-thief saw that he had tricked them. He gave the first man a rope to hold instead of the bridle. He gave the second man a small piece of straw. But what was he going to do with the man on the horse? He did not want to throw him down, because the man might wake up and shout.",
"He had a clever idea. He untied the ropes from the wall and tied them to the saddle. Then, he pulled the sleeping rider up into the air. He twisted the rope around the posts to make it safe. He let the horse go free. But if the horse walked on the hard stone, the people in the castle would hear the noise. So, he wrapped the horse's hooves in soft old rags. He led the horse out very carefully and jumped on his back. He galloped away fast. When the sun came up, the master rode the horse back to the castle. The Count was just waking up and looking out the window. \"Good morning, sir Count,\" he called out. \"Here is the horse. I brought it out of the stable safely.",
"Just look how nicely your soldiers are sleeping. If you go into the stable, you will see how cozy your guards have made it for themselves. The Count could not help laughing. Then he said, \"You have done this once, but things will not go so well the next time. I warn you that if you come to me as a thief, I will treat you like a thief.\" When the Countess went to bed that night, she held her wedding ring tight in her hand. The Count said, \"All the doors are locked and bolted. I will stay awake and wait for the thief. But if he gets in through the window, I will shoot him.",
"The master-thief crept quietly into the dark night. He found a poor man hanging there and gently cut him down. He carried the man on his back all the way to the castle. He set up a tall ladder to the bedroom. He put the man on his shoulders and began to climb. When the man's head showed at the window, the Count woke up. He fired a gun at the thief. The master-thief was scared. He let the poor man fall down. He climbed down the ladder and hid in a dark corner. The moon was bright enough to see everything. The Count climbed out of the window. He carried the man into the garden and dug a soft hole to put him in.",
"Now, the thief thought, *This is my chance.* He moved quickly out of the corner and climbed the ladder straight up to the Countess's bedroom.\n\n\"Dear wife,\" he said in the Count's voice, \"The thief is dead. But he is my godson, and he has been more of a troublemaker than a bad man. I will not put him to open shame. Besides, I feel sorry for his parents. I will bury him myself before the sun comes up, so no one will know. So, please give me the sheet. I will wrap him up in it, and I won't bury him like a dog.\"\n\nThe Countess gave him the sheet.\n\n\"I tell you what,\" the thief continued, \"I am feeling very generous. Give me the ring, too. The poor man risked his life for it, so he can take it with him into his grave.",
"She did not argue with the Count. Even though she did not want to, she took the ring off her finger and gave it to him. The thief ran away with both things. He got home safely before the Count finished digging in the garden. The Count looked very sad the next morning when the Master brought him the sheet and the ring. \"Are you a wizard?\" asked the Count. \"Did you come out of the grave I put you in and bring yourself back to life?\" \"I did not bury you,\" said the thief. \"I buried the poor man on the gallows.\" He told the Count exactly what happened. The Count had to admit that the thief was clever and very tricky.",
"But you are not finished yet,\" he said. \"You still have one last task to do. If you fail, it will all be for nothing.\" The master just smiled and did not answer. When the sun went down, he put on a big sack and carried a bundle. He held a small lantern in his hand. He walked to the village church. In the sack, he had some crabs. In the bundle, he had short, fat candles. He sat down in the churchyard. He took a crab out of the sack and stuck a candle on its back. Then he lit the little light and put the crab on the ground to walk. He did the same thing with the next crab, and the next, until all the crabs were out of the sack. Finally, he put on a long black coat that looked like a monk's robe. He also stuck a gray beard on his chin.",
"When he looked like a stranger, he picked up the sack where the crabs had been. He walked into the church and climbed up to the pulpit. The clock in the tower was just striking twelve. When the last sound faded, he shouted in a loud voice, \"Listen, sinful people, the end of the world is here! The last day is coming. Listen! Listen! If you want to go to heaven with me, you must crawl inside this sack. I am Peter, and I open and close the gate to heaven. Look at the dead people outside in the churchyard. They are walking around and looking for their bones. Come, come, and crawl inside the sack. The world is about to end!\" His cry rang out through the whole village.",
"The parson and the clerk who lived closest to the church were the first to hear it. They saw the lights moving around the churchyard and knew something special was happening. They went inside to listen to the sermon. After a while, the clerk nudged the parson and whispered, \"It would be nice if we used this chance to find an easy way to heaven before the sun comes up.\" \"That is exactly what I have been thinking,\" the parson replied. \"If you are ready, let us go.\" \"Yes,\" said the clerk, \"but since you are the pastor, you should go first. I will follow.\" So the parson went ahead and climbed into the pulpit. The Master opened his sack, and the parson crept inside. Then, the clerk followed him in.",
"The master tied the sack up very tight. He picked it up and dragged it down the stairs. When the heads bumped against the steps, he said, \"We are going over the mountains.\" He dragged them through the village like that. When they went through puddles, he said, \"Now we are going through wet clouds.\" Finally, he dragged them up the steps of the castle. He said, \"Now we are on the steps of heaven, and we will soon be in the garden.\" When he reached the top, he pushed the sack into the pigeon house. The pigeons fluttered their wings. He said, \"Hark! How glad the angels are, and how they are flapping their wings.\" Then he locked the door and went away.",
"The next morning, the Master-Thief went to the Count. He told him that he had done the third task, too. He had carried the parson and the clerk out of the church. \"Where did you leave them?\" asked the Lord. \"They are lying upstairs in a sack in the pigeon-house,\" the thief said. \"And I made them think they are in heaven.\" The Count went up to check. He saw that the Master-Thief had told the truth. When he let the parson and clerk go free, he said, \"You are a clever trickster, and you won your game. But this time, you are safe. Just promise me that you will leave my land forever. If I ever see you here again, you will be in big trouble.\" The Master-Thief said goodbye to his parents. He went out into the wide world one last time. And that is the last anyone has ever heard of him."
],
"v3_model": "glm-4.7-flash:q4_K_M",
"v3_flags": []
}