Two Thieves

There were two thieves. One says: — It's hard for me, a thief, to live! But the second disagreed: — And I live easily. There's plenty of work — and I have plenty of everything... Look, — he says, — the bishop will be riding to the cathedral. Let's pretend we made a bet: you say — "six toes on a foot," and I — "five." And pretend we have a hundred rubles at stake... And don't dawdle there! They went and stood on the road to the cathedral. That thief, the one who boasted of an easy life, says: — The bishop is coming! A carriage drove up. The thief knelt down. The bishop looked at him and stopped the carriage. The thief says: — Most Reverend bishop! Here I made a bet with this merchant (pointed at his companion) for a hundred rubles. If I'm right, then I get my hundred rubles back and take his hundred rubles, and if he's right — he takes them. He says — "six toes on a foot," and I — "five." The bishop didn't think long, says: — You win! I have five toes on my foot! — Permit me, bishop, to count them here in his presence. — You may, you may... The thief pulled the boot off the bishop's foot and counts: — One, two, three, four, five... I win! And the second thief grabbed the other boot. — And there are six there, — he says, — take that one off too! He pulled off the second boot: — One, two, three, four, five... You win! And they ran off with the boots! The bishop jumped down from the carriage in his stockings alone, into the mud. But can you catch thieves?!