1.4 Thief or treasurer 小偷还是司库？

Once there was a thief and he was looking for things to steal in a temple where the Priest was giving a religious speech on the topic of truthfulness 2 to many people. The thief was completely lost in the true feeling of truthfulness. When the program was over everybody went home except for the thief who was not ready to leave.

　　The thief wondered how a thief could become free from not speaking a lie. The Priest gave deep advice to him that by speaking truth also he would do his business. By using the virtue 3 of truthfulness also he would remain safe and secure no matter where he was or what he stole. The thief firmly determined 4 to follow the Priest’s advice in the practical life and promised to follow the norm of truthfulness and honesty from that day in all respects.

　　As making the promise not to speak a lie in his life when the thief was going out from there, at the same time, the King disguised in an ordinary form was roaming① there to look after the atmosphere of the capital city. Coincidentally② the thief met a person on the way in a roaming condition. The roaming gentleman asked the thief who he was. The thief recalled his promise to always speak the truth, even though difficult, he still revealed that he was a thief.

　　The gentleman replied happily and excitedly that he was also a thief. These two men became friends by handshaking and hugging with each other. The new thief suggested that they steal some very valuable things, and he knew exactly where to find them. He took him in such incognito 5③ way that both of them arrived in front of the Grand Royal Palace. As the security personnel asked who they were and where they were going, both of them replied that they were going into the palace to steal diamonds. The security guard did not know why they were so angry without any cause.

　　The new thief friend took him to a shelf in a beautiful big drawing room. After breaking open the safe④, they found five most valuable diamonds. They took four and left one diamond there in the opened safe because they thought breaking one diamond in half would be valueless.

　　Both of them went out with two diamonds on their hands just packed in the cloth for each. They again returned in the same gate and went out with replying that they were thieves.

　　The next day as the royal palace offices were opened, they found the royal treasure of the palace was broken. The King then ordered the security guards to arrest the thief, and bring him to the King. After bringing him in the palace they presented the thief before the King. The King carefully observed him from his feet to head and said, “How many diamonds did you steal?”

　　“We stole four; two for each of us. Since we could not break the last one in half, we left one diamond in the safe.”　　The King then asked to the treasurer 6, “How many diamonds are missing?”　　“All five, Your Majesty 7.”

　　The King immediately fired the treasurer and appointed the thief as the new treasurer for his commitment to always being truthful 1.

　　① roam v. 闲逛，漫步　　

　　② coincidentally ad. 巧合地，碰巧地　　

　　③ incognito a. 隐姓埋名的，化名的　　

　　④ safe n. 保险箱

从前，有一个小偷在一个教堂里寻找目标伺机下手。此时，牧师正在教堂里布道，宣讲以诚待人。小偷大受感动，以至于当布道结束的时候，大家都回家去了，只有他还没有要离开的意思。

　　小偷想知道一个小偷怎样才能不说谎。牧师给了他意味深长的建议：即便是偷东西也是可以说真话的。利用诚实这一美德，无论他在哪里或者偷了什么，他也都可以平安无事。小偷下定决心在现实生活中按照牧师的建议去做，并承诺从那以后在各个方面都践行诚实。

　　小偷从教堂出来，他承诺以后在生活中不再说谎。与此同时，国王打扮成普通人模样在都城里闲逛，以便视察民情。碰巧的是，小偷在路上遇到了一个闲逛的人。那位闲逛的绅士问起小偷的身份，小偷想起了他的承诺——始终都要讲真话，所以尽管很难说出口，他还是坦白说他是一个小偷。

　　那位绅士兴奋地回答说他也是一个小偷。两个人相互握手拥抱并结为朋友。新小偷建议他们去偷一些值钱的东西，而且他确切地知道那些东西藏在哪里。他隐瞒了自己的身份带着小偷抵达了王宫。当侍卫盘问他们是谁，要到哪里去时，他们俩都回答说他们要进入王宫去偷钻石。侍卫不知道为什么他们会无缘无故这么生气。

　　新小偷带着他来到一个美丽的大厅，他们走到一个架子前，砸开保险柜后，发现里面有五颗珍贵的钻石。他们拿走了四颗，剩了一颗留在开着的保险柜里，因为他们认为把一颗钻石分成两半将毫无价值。

　　他们俩离开了大厅，手上分别拿着仅仅用布包裹着的两颗钻石。他们再次返回到之前的大门，回答侍卫说他们是小偷，并且出去了。

　　第二天，王宫办事处开门了，他们发现宫殿中的皇家瑰宝被人破门而入偷走了。国王立即下令侍卫逮捕小偷，并带来见他。他们把小偷带到宫殿面见国王陛下，国王从头到脚将小偷仔细地打量一番，说：“你偷了几颗钻石？”　　“我们偷了四颗，每人两颗。因为没有办法将最后那颗钻石分成两半，我们就没有拿。”

　　国王又问司库：“有几颗钻石失窃？”　　“五颗全部失窃，尊贵的国王陛下。”

　　国王立即解雇了司库，并任命小偷为新的司库，因为他履行了他的承诺——始终做到诚实。

　　反思：即使你曾经犯过错，诚实也会令你自由。