The Crimson Fairy Book_50

There is only one thing I can do really well, and that is 鈥�to steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have stolen. Not the deepest vault, even if its lock were enchanted, could prevent my stealing anything out of it that I wished to have.鈥� When the king heard this he fell into a passion. 鈥業 will not pardon you, you rascal,鈥�he cried; 鈥業 will shut you up in my deepest dungeon on bread and water till you have forgotten such a trade. Indeed, it would be better to put you to death at once, and I鈥檝e a good mind to do so.鈥� 鈥楧on鈥檛 kill me, O king! I am really not as bad as you think. Why, had I chosen, I could have robbed the royal treasury, have bribed your judges to let me off, and built a white marble palace with what was left. But though I know how to steal I don鈥檛 do it. You yourself asked me my trade. If you kill me you will break your royal word.鈥� 鈥榁ery well,鈥�said the king, 鈥業 will not kill you. I pardon you. But from this hour you shall be shut up in a dark dungeon. Here, guards! away with him to the prison.