Before you read the story

• Has anyone ever cheated you?
• How did you feel about it? Were you angry?
• Did you try to catch the cheat?

Now read the story

Once upon a time, there were two thieves. One was called Hirsi. The other was called Kabaalaf. They lived in different towns. Everyone knew Hirsi in his town. Everyone knew Kabaalaf in his town. The people watched them all the time.

"It's difficult for me in this town now," thought Hirsi. "Everyone watches me. I can't cheat anyone. I can't steal anything. I'll go to Kabaalaf's town. No one will know me there."

On the very same day, Kabaalaf was thinking too.

"People know me here, in this town," he thought. "I can't get anything from anyone here. I'll go to Hirsi's town. They don't know me there."

Hirsi took a sack and he filled it with ashes. He started travelling towards Kabaalaf's town. And Kabaalaf took a sack. He filled it with goat dung. He began to go to Hirsi's town.

They met on the road.

"Hirsi! My friend! How are you? Are you well?" said Kabaalaf.

"Oh, Kabaalaf, is that you? Yes, I am very well. Are you well?" said Hirsi.

"Yes," said Kabaalaf. "I'm going to the market."

"Really?" said Hirsi. "And what are you going to sell?"

"A sack full of the best coffee," said Kabaalaf, and he pointed to his sack full of goat dung. "And you? What are you going to sell?"

"Oh, the finest flour," said Hirsi, and he lifted up his sack full of ashes.

"Flour?" said Kabaalaf. "That's wonderful. I want to buy flour in the market."

"Do you?' said Hirsi. "Really? And I want to buy coffee in the market!"

"I've got a good idea," said Kabaalaf. "Let's exchange our sacks. You can give me your sack of flour, and I'll give you my sack of coffee. Then we can both go home."

"That's a very good idea," said Hirsi.

So Hirsi gave Kabaalaf his sack of ashes, and Kabaalaf gave Hirsi his sack of goat dung, and they both went home.

Hirsi arrived at his house and opened his bag of coffee. Inside, there was only goat dung.

"Oh! That wicked Kabaalaf! He cheated me!" he shouted.

Kabaalaf arrived at his house and opened his bag of flour. Inside, there were only ashes.

"Hirsi's a thief! He cheated me!" shouted Kabaalaf.

"The thieves have cheated each other," everyone said. 

And they laughed.

Exercises for Hirsi and Kabaalaf 

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