Long time ago there was a traveler. He used to travel from one city to another. His name was Ali. Once he was travelling through a vast desert with one of his friends Sheikh abdul malik. The sheikh was a very rich person who had forty camels and eighteen servants with him. Sheikh abdul malik had a beautiful white donkey which was very dear to him.The sheikh kept the donkey together with him and every the slept in the same tent.
Ali was carrying a bag with eighty gold coins. One morning when Ali woke up. Found the bag of gold coins was missing. Ali went to the sheikh and told him about the missing bag of gold coins.
"How many coins were there in the bag" the sheikh asked.
"There were eighty coins"Ali replied.
The sheikh thought for a while and then turned towards Ali.
"You Will get the bag of gold coins by the evening"
The Sheikh then called his men and ordered them to go to the camels and look after them carefully.The sheikh sent Ali to his tent and started thinking over the matter.He was very much worried about the lost gold coins because Ali was his guest and it was his duty to take care of the guest and his things. Ali of a sudden a thought came in his mind and he smiled.
In the evening the sheikh called his men.They came and stood in a row before him.Ali was standing beside him.The sheikh looked at each man for while and said in anger "Somebody has stolen the bag of our guest. Nobody else has come here.It means the thief is from you all.
My friend Ali is worried but I am not worried even a little"The Sheikh stopped for a while and spoke again.
" I am not worried because,I know the qualities of my donkey.You Know that his donkey in very dear to me.God his given my donkey a power.With its power it knows the thief.If a thief touches its tail.The donkey will make a loud noise".
Afterwards the sheikh ordered his men to go into the tent one by one and pull the donkey's tail,where the donkey was alone.
One by one every man went inside the tent and came back. All the man did it but there was no sound.Now Ali was very sad because the donkey could not recognize the thief. But he sheikh smiled and whispered in Ali's ear the he would get his gold coins soon.
The Sheikh made all the men stand once again in a row and started kissing the palms of all eighteen men and came back held the man who was standing at the tenth number,and shouted:
"You,wicked thief! bring the gold or I will kill you"
This thief fell down at the sheikh's feet and begged forgiveness The thief at once went to a big stone and brought Ali's bag.Ali opened the bag and counted his counted found all eighty coins there.The sheikh ordered one of his men who was very strong,to beat the thief,but on Ali's request the thief was pardoned.
In the night Ali said to the Sheikh.
"Tell me how did it happen?"
The sheikh smiled and said:
Actually I prepared a thick paste of mint and rubbed it on the donkey's tail,I was sure that the thief will not touch the donkey's tail.Because his hands alone had no smell of mint on them".