A learned man who had gone abroad in quest of wealth, and was returning home with all his earnings, was waylaid by a thief as he was nearing his village, and eased of his bundle. The aggrieved person complained to Mariada Ramanna who summoned the thief and questioned him, but the latter swore that he knew nothing. Suspecting that he had an arch-rogue to deal with and determined to elicit the truth by a stratagem, Mariada Ramanna made believe to dismiss the case, and sent the parties to their respective homes: but unknown to the thief, he sent a couple of spies, in disguise, to shadow him and report on his conduct. No sooner did the thief return home, than his wife eagerly questioned him as to the issue of the affair in respect of which he had been summoned, when the thief replied that he had succeeded in getting off by swearing that he knew nothing of the matter. This colloquy being reported to Mariada Ramanna, he immediately sent for the thief, and besides making him disgorge his plunder, lnflicted condign punishment upon him.
