Once upon a time there lived a king. His palace was magnificent and full of treasures. One night, three thieves broke into the palace. They filled their pockets with jewelry and precious stones. Then they fled. But the guards heard the trampling and cut the thieves off. The next morning, they were brought before the king and he asked: "Have you stolen my treasure? Are you guilty or not guilty?"

The thieves replied: "We are innocent, because it was very easy to get into the palace. When the walls were built, the bricklayer probably didn't do a good job and skimped on the mortar. That's why the bricklayer is guilty." This made sense to the king and he had the bricklayer brought to him. "Did you use too little mortar when building my palace walls? Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"I am innocent!" replied the bricklayer. "Because the assistant who mixed the lime for the mortar was unreliable. That is why he is guilty."

The king then had the assistant found and brought to the palace. He asked him: "Did you mix the lime badly when you helped this mason build my walls? Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"I am innocent!" said the assistant. He explained: "Because when I was mixing the lime, a beautiful girl walked past me. She was so beautiful that I forgot about my work. That must be why the girl is guilty."

The girl was also taken to the king. "Did you distract the assistant from his work when he was supposed to mix the lime for the mortar for the palace walls? Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"I'm innocent!" the girl whispered. "Actually, I wasn't supposed to go past your garden that day. But the goldsmith finished my jewelry too late and only called me on the day when the assistant was mixing the lime. So the goldsmith is guilty." So the goldsmith was summoned to the palace. "Did you finish this beautiful girl's jewelry too late so that she could distract my bricklayer's assistant? Are you guilty or not guilty?"

"I am innocent!" the goldsmith also affirmed. Now the king became impatient. He shouted angrily at the goldsmith: "Then who is to blame for the fact that thieves were able to enter my palace and rob me? The guilty party should be crushed to death by the strong tusks of my elephant on this rock!"

There was a long silence. Finally, the goldsmith replied: "Dear king, the girl was unable to collect the jewelry on the agreed day because you gave the order to finish your ring first. Tell me, who is to blame?"

Now the king was also silent. Then the goldsmith said: "It's a shame about the beautiful tusks if the elephant has to crush the thief on the rock."

The king agreed and released everyone: the goldsmith, the girl, the assistant, the bricklayer and finally even the thieves.

Fassung Anina Meile, nach: E. Schleberger, Märchen aus Sri Lanka, Köln 1982, englische Übersetzung Lysander Jaenike © Mutabor Märchenstiftung