The master said, “That doesn’t matter, one has to be someone. The point is that I have been in the house for thirty years and I have not found anything, so let us search together! And if we can find something, we can be partners. I have not found anything in this house – it is just empty.”

The thief was a little afraid – the man seems to be strange. Either he is mad or…who knows what kind of man he is? He wanted to escape, because he had brought things from two other houses that he had left outside the house.

The master had only one blanket – that was all that he had – and it was a cold night, so he told that thief, “Don’t go this way, don’t insult me this way; otherwise I will never be able to forgive myself, that a poor man came to my house in the middle of the night and had to go empty-handed. Just take this blanket. And it will be good – outside it is so cold. I am inside the house; it is warmer here.”

He covered the thief with his blanket. The thief was just losing his mind! He said, “What are you doing? I am a thief!”

The master said, “That does not matter. In this world everybody has to be somebody, has to do something. You may be stealing; that doesn’t matter, a profession is a profession. Just do it well, with all my blessings. Do it perfectly, don’t be caught; otherwise you will be in trouble.”

The thief said, “You are strange. You are naked and you don’t have anything!”

The master said, “Don’t be worried, because I am coming with you! Only the blanket was keeping me in this house; otherwise in this house there is nothing – and the blanket I have given to you. I am coming with you – we will live together. And you seem to have many things; it is a good partnership. I have given my all to you. You can give me a little bit – that will be right.”

The thief could not believe it. He just wanted to escape from that place and from that man. He said, “No, I cannot take you with me. I have my wife, I have my children, and my neighbors, what will they say? – ‘You have brought a naked man!’”

He said, “That’s right. I will not put you in any embarrassing situation. So you can go, I will remain in this house.” And as the thief was going, the master shouted, “Hey! Come back!” The thief had never heard such a strong voice; it went just like a knife. He had to come back. The master said, “Learn some ways of courtesy. I have given you the blanket and you have not even thanked me. So first, thank me – it will help you a long way. Secondly, going out – you opened the door when you came in – close the door! Can’t you see the night is so cold, and can’t you see that I have given you the blanket and I am naked? Your being a thief is okay, but as far as manners are concerned, I am a difficult man. I cannot tolerate this kind of behavior. Say thank you!”

The thief had to say, “Thank you, sir,” and he closed the door and escaped. He could not believe what had happened! He could not sleep the whole night. Again and again he remembered…he had never heard such a strong voice, such power. And the man had nothing!