The Master Thief

A farmer's son became known as the Master Thief, a reputation that troubled his father. One day, a great lord challenged the thief: if he could steal three specific items, he would receive a pardon and a fortune. But if he failed, he would hang.

The three items were the lord's horse from the guarded stable, the bed sheet from beneath the lord and his wife while they slept, and the parson and clerk from the church during the night.

For the horse, the thief disguised himself as an old woman selling apples. When the guards ate the drugged apples, they fell asleep, and the thief rode away on the horse, leaving behind a rooster that crowed to delay discovery.

For the sheet, the thief made a dummy that looked like a person climbing the wall. When the lord shot at it, the thief climbed in through another window and stood in the corner disguised as a statue of Saint Anthony. The lord, thinking the statue had moved his head, was confused. While the couple argued about it, the thief stole the sheet and escaped.

For the parson and clerk, the thief released a corpse from the gallows with ropes to its limbs, making it seem alive. When the parson and clerk came out, the 'corpse' grabbed them. Terrified, they confessed their sins, and the thief dragged them to the lord's castle.

The lord, amazed by the thief's skill, kept his promise. The Master Thief received his pardon and a great reward. He gave up his life of crime and became an advisor to the lord, using his cleverness to protect rather than steal.

And the lord learned that no security is perfect against a truly determined and ingenious opponent.