But the carpenter was a shrewd fellow, and so
he makes a figure resembling the goldsmith, dresses it in clothes
similar to what he usually wore, and procures a couple of bear's cubs,
which he teaches to take their food from the skirts and sleeves of the
effigy. Thus the cubs conceived a great affection for the figure of the
goldsmith. He then contrives to steal the goldsmith's two sons, and,
when the father comes to seek them at his house, he pretends they have
been changed into young bears. The goldsmith brings his case before the
kazi; the cubs are brought into court, and no sooner do they discover
the goldsmith than they run up and fondle him. Upon this the judge
decides in favour of the carpenter, to whom the goldsmith confesses his
guilt, and offers to give up all the gold if he restore his children,
which he does accordingly.[44]
[44] Many Asiatic stories relate to the concealing of
treasure--generally at the foot of a tree, to mark the
spot--by two or more companions, and its being secretly
stolen by one of them. The device of the carpenter in
the foregoing tale of abducting the rascally goldsmith's
two sons, and so on, finds an analogue in the
_Panchatantra_, the celebrated Sanskrit collection of
fables (Book I, Fab.
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