“ Can you tell us, please, if there is any particular line in which you excel?"
"Yes," said the second Thief; "I am able to cut the soles off a man's boots as he walks across the road without his being aware of what has happened. What can you two do, pray?"
"I," replied the first Thief, "can withdraw the eggs from under a sitting hen without disturbing her." ”

“ All pearls look very much alike, and it would be impossible for us to prove to you whence they came. We would, therefore, venture to suggest that, before putting us to this test, you should have a complete enumeration made of all the jewels in your Treasury; then, when we produce the three pearls in question, it will be easy to ascertain whether there are in the Treasury three pearls less than there were when the enumeration was made."
The Emperor, seeing that this was a reasonable request, agreed to act as the Thieves had suggested. ”

“ It was no use for the wretched man to protest his innocence or to plead for mercy. The Emperor's orders are that, unless a satisfactory explanation is given to him before six o'clock this evening and the missing soles produced, the Minister is to be beheaded. Here are the soles of the Prime Minister's boots in my wallet, and I propose to present them to His Majesty this afternoon during his public audience. ”