Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta, having perfected his education, became one of the King’s ministers. One day the king with a large following went into forest for hunting and wanted to bathe. So he went down into the royal tank and sent for his queen. The women of the harem, removing the jewels from the queen along with upper robe and kept it in box, which was guarded by a woman of harem.

This has been watched by a female monkey. To wear the queen’s pearl necklace, the monkey stealthly took away the box. It was hidden in the branches of a tree. Then, for fear the other monkeys should see it, she hid the string of pearls in a hole in the tree and sat on guard. When the women of harem saw the box missing, screamed out, “A man has run off with the queen’s pearl necklace.” The King ordered,”Catch the thief.” The guards searched everywhere. Hearing the din, a poor superstitious rustic took to his heels in alarm. They caught the rustic and brought him before the king.

The Rustic thought, “If I deny the charge, I shall die with the beating I shall get from these ruffians. I’d better say I took it.” So he confessed to the theft and was hauled off a prisoner to the King.

“Did you take those precious jewels?” asked the king.

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Where are they now?”

“Please your majesty, I’m a poor man; I’ve never in my life owned anything, even a bed or a chair, of any value, much less a jewel. It was the Treasurer who made me take that valuable necklace; and I took it and gave it to him. He knows all about it.”

Then the king sent for the Treasurer, and asked whether the rustic had passed the necklace on to him and where is it?

“I gave it to your majesty’s Chaplain.” Then the Chaplain was sent for, and interrogated in the same way. And he said he had given it to the Chief Musician, who in his turn said he had given it to a courtesan as a present. But she, being brought before the King, utterly denied ever having received it.

While the five were thus being questioned, the sun set. “It’s too late now. We will look into this tomorrow,” said the King. So he handed over them to his ministers and went to his Room.

The Bodhisatta, the clever Minister, thought, “These jewels were lost inside the grounds, while the rustic was outside. There was a strong guard at the gates, and it was impossible for anyone inside to get away with the necklace. I do not see how anyone, whether inside or out, could have managed to secure it. The truth is, this poor wretched fellow must have said that he gave it to the Treasurer merely in order to save his own skin; and the Treasurer must have said he gave it to the Chaplain, in the hope that he would get off if he could mix the Chaplain up in the matter. Further, the Chaplain must have said he gave it to the Chief Musician, because he thought the latter would make the time pass merrily in prison; whilst the Chief Musician’s object in implicating the courtesan, was simply to solace himself with her company during imprisonment. None of them has anything to do with the theft. On the other hand, the grounds swarm with monkeys, and the necklace must have got into the hands of one of the female monkeys.”

When he had arrived at this conclusion, the Bodhisatta went to the King with the request that the suspects might be handed over to him and that he might be allowed to examine personally into the matter. The King said,”By all means. Pl find the culprit.”

Then the Bodhisatta sent for his servants and told them where to lodge the five prisoners, saying, “Keep strict watch over them; listen to everything they say, and report it all to me.” And his servants did as he told them.

As the prisoners sat together, the Treasurer said to the rustic, “Tell me, you wretch, where you and I ever met before this day; tell me when you gave me that necklace.” “Worshipful sir,” said the other, “I thought that with your help I should get out of this trouble, and that’s why I said what I did. Don’t get angry with me, my lord.” Said the Chaplain in his turn to the Treasurer, “How then came you to pass on to me what this fellow had never given to you?” “I only said so because I thought that if you and I, both high officers of state, stand together. We can soon put the matter right.” “Brahmin,” now said the Chief Musician to the Chaplain, “when, please, did you give the jewel to me?” “I only said I did,” answered the Chaplain, “because I thought you would help to make the time pass more agreeably.” Lastly the courtesan said, “Oh, you wretch of a musician, you know you never visited me, nor I you. So when could you have given me the necklace, as you say?” “Why be angry, my dear?” said the Musician, “we five have got to keep house together for a bit; so let us put a cheerful face on it and be happy together.”

This conversation being reported to the Bodhisatta by his agents, he left convinced the five were all innocent of the robbery, and that a female monkey had taken the necklace.

“And I must find a means to make her drop it,” said he to himself. So he had a number of bead necklaces made. Next he had a number of monkeys caught and turned loose again, with strings of beads on their necks, wrists and ankles. Meantime, the guilty monkey kept sitting in the trees watching her treasure. Then the Bodhisatta ordered a number of men to carefully observe every monkey in the grounds, till they saw one wearing the missing pearl necklace, and then frighten her into dropping it.

Tricked out in their new splendour, the other monkeys strutted about till they came to the real thief before whom they flaunted their finery. Jealousy overcoming her prudence, she exclaimed, “They’re only beads!” and put on her own necklace of real pearls. This was at once seen by the watchers, who promptly made her drop the necklace, which they picked up and brought to the Bodhisatta.

He took it to the King, saying, “Here is the necklace. The five prisoners are innocent; it was a female monkey in the pleasaunce that took it.” “How came you to find that out?” asked the King; “and how did you manage to get possession of it again?” Then the Bodhisatta told the whole story, and the King thanked the Bodhisatta, saying, “You are the right man in the right place.”

Over and above these words of praise and gratitude, the King showered treasures upon the Bodhisatta.

After following the Bodhisatta’s counsels through a long life spent in charity and good works, the King passed away to fare thereafter according to his deserts.