But as he had no intention of giving the liar the money , when Saturday morning came he stretched himself out stiff and stark upon the bed , and told his wife she was to say he was dead . So the wife rubbed her eyes with an onion , and when the liar appeared at the door , she met him in tears , and told him that as her husband was dead he could not be paid the three florins . But the liar , who knew his partner 's tricks , instantly suspected the truth , and said : ` As he has not paid me , I will pay him out with three good lashes of my riding whip . ' At these words the thief sprang to his feet , and , appearing at the door , promised his partner that if he would return the following Saturday he would pay him . So the liar went away satisfied with this promise . But when Saturday morning came the thief got up early and hid himself under a truss of hay in the hay-loft . When the liar appeared to demand his three florins , the wife met him with tears in her eyes , and told him that her husband was dead . ` Where have you buried him ? ' asked the liar . ` In the hay-loft , ' answered the wife . ` Then I will go there , and take away some hay in payment of his debt , ' said the liar . And proceeding to the hay-loft , he began to toss about the hay with a pitch-fork , prodding it into the trusses of hay , till , in terror of his life , the thief crept out and promised his partner to pay him the three florins on the following Saturday . When the day came he got up at sunrise , and going down into the crypt of a neighbouring chapel , stretched himself out quite still and stiff in an old stone coffin . But the liar , who was quite as clever as his partner , very soon bethought him of the crypt , and set out for the chapel , confident that he would shortly discover the hiding-place of his friend . He had just entered the crypt , and his eyes were not yet accustomed to the darkness , when he heard the sound of whispering at the grated windows . Listening intently , he overheard the plotting of a band of robbers , who had brought their treasure to the crypt , meaning to hide it there , while they set out on fresh adventures . All the time they were speaking they were removing the bars from the window , and in another minute they would all have entered the crypt , and discovered the liar . Quick as thought he wound his mantle round him and placed himself , standing stiff and erect , in a niche in the wall , so that in the dim light he looked just like an old stone statue . As soon as the robbers entered the crypt , they set about the work of dividing their treasure . Now , there were twelve robbers , but by mistake the chief of the band divided the gold into thirteen heaps .
When he saw his mistake he said they had not time XXXXX count it all over again , but that the thirteenth heap should belong to whoever among them could strike off the head of the old stone statue in the niche with one stroke .
As At So for in of on to while with