Betaal Pachisi - Story 6 - King and the Thief

Vikrama tries again to catch vetala. After several attempts he succeeds and starts taking him to the ascetic. Vetala starts narrating him a story so that they can easily complete the long journey once again but warns him not to speak anything else he will go back to his place again. He begins narrating story about king of Ayodhya, Veerketu. Lot of thefts were happening in his kingdom but they were unable to catch the thief. Many businessman suffered losses because of this and they informed king that they might move to another kingdom as they cant bear any more losses. King felt really bad to hear that and decided that he himself will catch the thief.

One day, beautiful daughter of the businessman went to temple to have mangoes from the trees. Thief saw her and was really mesmerized by her beauty. He helped her in getting mangoes from the tree through his skills. Girl was impressed by him and requests him to train her as well. They decide to meet daily in the temple for training. At night, king disguised as thief was strolling the streets when he saw another thief. They partnered in the crime and decided to steal goods from the businessman’s house. They stole stuff from his house and thief took king to his place. Their king attacked the thief and arrested him.

On the other side, girl was going to meet the thief in temple when they heard that thief has been arrested. Girl was shocked to see the same man and told her father that she loved this man. Father tries to pacify her but she doesnt listen to him. King sentences thief to death. At the same time businessman comes with his daughter and requests him to pardon the thief as his daughter loves him. King declines the request. On this his daughter says that in that case she should be allowed to marry him so that she can live rest of her life as his widow. Listening to this, thief first laughs on this and then cries vigorously. King pardons the thief as girl loved him dearly and appoints the thief as his commander in the army. Both get married and lived happily ever after.

At the end of this narration, Vetala asks Vikrama tell him that why the thief laughed and cried in the court. Vikrama replies that he laughed on his destiny that he was a thief and still a beautiful girl lived him so dearly. He cried on seeing the immense love of girl for him. Vetala gets happy with Vikrama’s answer but he again flies back to his abode telling that he could not keep quite. Vikrama runs behind him again to catch him.

Moral: Love has the power to change the bad people.