A certain father of four sons died, leaving behind him a widow and these sons. He had entrusted to his wife the key of a box containing his valuables including four costly gems worth 4,000 Pagodas, with instructions to keep them in her possession so long as the brothers lived in amity with her and to hand over to each. One of the gems, in case they should disagree and choose to live separately, While they were living together, they were allowed to open the box and take out any money required for expenses, and availing him of these opportunities the youngest brother abstracted one of the gems which was still joint property and so committed theft. The loss being soon discovered, charges and recrimination ensued, and the brothers, tried of jangling and wrangling among themselves, finally sought the interference of Mariada Ramanna. The latter, desiring to gain an insight into their character and propensities, invited them to spend a few days with him, and one night, in the course of conversation, related to them the following tale.
Once upon a time, a certain royal princess, on her education being completed, paid a visit to her preceptor, and asked him to say what present would be most acceptable to him, by way of Guru Dakshina or Preceptor's Honorarium. The preceptor, overcome by her rare beauty and yielding to a wicked impulse, begged her to give him a promise that she would grant whatever he might ask for, and after receiving this assurance, he mentioned the desire of his heart. The princess, faithful to her plighted truth, promised to gratify his desires, when the time arrived for her desires, when the time arrived for her to consummate her marriage with her husband. Shortly afterwards, this opportunity occurred, when she informed her husband how she had bound herself by a solemn promise to her preceptor, and the latter, respecting her truthfulness and honor, permitted her to go and fulfil her undertaking. On her way to her preceptor, she was waylaid by a thief, who insisted on easing her of all her ornaments. She begged him to desist a while and promised to meet him on her return from her teacher, when she should voluntarily surrender, all her jewels. The thief then let her proceed on her way, and arriving at her preceptor's. She declared her readiness to gratify him, and begged be released without less of time. The preceptor was thoroughly overcome by the faithfulness of her conduct, and abandoning his evil designs, gave her his tutorial blessing and dismissed her home. On her return, she came to the spot where she had left the thief, too, was overawed by such an unique specimen of honorable conduct and giving up his evil intentions, loaded her with costly presents in lieu of robbing her, and most reverentially took leave of her. Arrived at home, she related to her husband all that had happened, and the latter, overjoyed at his wife's fidelity and truthfulness, honored her all the more.
After concluding this story, Mariada Rama, questioned each of the brothers as to his opinion of which of the several characters struck them as most worthy of admiration. The eldest named the preceptor, the second the princess husband, and the third the princess herself while the fourth and youngest gave his verdict in favour of the thief. No sooner had the brothers given their answers, then Mariada Ramanna came to the conclusion that the youngest was the most likely person to have stolen the gem as evidenced by his sympathy with the thief, and soon elicited his confession by subjecting him to a strict and searching interrogation. He recovered and restored the gem to the three elder brother, and saw that the youngest did not escape the just punishment of his crime.
