The Clever Robber

The Bodhisattva came back as a robber once. He lived in a village near Kasi. His activities brought him to the notice of the king and he was soon arrested. After the trial the king ordered the governor to put him to death. While the robber was being led to the execution site, Sama, the chief courtesan of the city, saw him and immediately fell in love. She sent word to the governor that the prisoner was her brother and bribed him with a thousand gold coins to set him free for a while.

The governor, having accepted the bribe, complied with her wishes. Sama then persuaded an innocent youth who was madly in love with her to take the robber’s place on the execution ground. So in place of the robber, the youth was executed. The robber was happy to be free but he couldn’t trust Sama. “If she can kill her innocent admirer for me then she might kill me for someone else, once she gets tired of me,” thought he. So he went away from Kasi leaving Sama in despair.

The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!