When they reached the country of the neighbouring king , the thief entered the royal presence , and began conversation by asking if his majesty knew that in an adjacent kingdom there was a town with a church steeple on which a bird had alighted , and that the steeple was so high , and the bird 's beak so long , that it had pecked the stars till some of them fell out of the sky . ' I do n't believe it , ' said the king . ` Nevertheless I am prepared to bet twelve hundred florins that it is true , ' answered the thief . ` And I bet twelve hundred florins that it is a lie , ' replied the king . And he straightway sent a servant into the neighbouring country to find out the truth . As he rode , the servant met a man coming in the opposite direction . So he hailed him and asked him where he came from . And the man replied that he came out of the very town to which the man was bound . Then the servant asked him if the story they had heard about the bird with the long beak was true . ' I do n't know about that , ' answered the man , ` as I have never seen the bird ; but I once saw twelve men shoving all their might and main with brooms to push a monster egg into a cellar . ' -LSB- Illustration : `` I once saw '' 12 MEN SHOVING ALL THEIR MIGHT AND MAIN WITH BROOMS TO PUSH A MONSTER EGG INTO A CELLAR -RSB- ` That is capital , ' answered the servant , presenting the man with ten florins . ` Come and tell your tale to the king , and you will save me a long journey . ' So , when the story was repeated to the king , there was nothing for him to do but to pay the thief the twelve hundred florins . Then the two partners set out again with their ill-gotten gains , which they proceeded to divide into two equal shares ; but the thief kept back three of the florins that belonged to the liar 's half of the booty . Shortly afterwards they each married , and settled down in homes of their own with their wives . One day the liar discovered that he had been done out of three florins by his partner , so he went to his house and demanded them from him . ` Come next Saturday , and I will give them to you , ' answered the thief . 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 XXXXX his feet , and , appearing at the door , promised his partner that if he would return the following Saturday he would pay him .
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