After the man scared the food-stealing goblins away, he noticed a red cap he had knocked off one of their heads. He placed it on his head, then began shouting ‘Thief! Thief!’ His wife ran into the room but didn’t see anyone.

Her husband took her by the hand and said, ‘I’m here. What’s the matter?’ She felt him take hold of her, and tried to grasp him. She chanced to knock off the cap he had put on his head. No sooner had it fallen to the floor than she saw him standing beside her.

She picked up the cap and said, ‘It must have made you invisible. So that’s how the thief got in unnoticed. Let me try it.’ She put it on her head and immediately vanished. ‘This must be Horang Gamte, the magic cap. I’m sure of it!’ she exclaimed. ‘The thief was no man, but a goblin.’

Having made this remarkable find, they determined that they would turn it to their profit. From that day on they went from house to house in the village, stealing all that they could lay their hands on. Many complaints were made to the authorities, but though a strict watch was kept not a single clue could be found, so stealthily were the thefts committed.

They continued their activities for more than a year, and became very rich. But one day the husband went to a jeweler’s shop. It was not open yet, so he waited by the door. In a little while the jeweler came along and opened the door and the thief slipped in behind him. The jeweler took his money from the safe and began to count it. While he was counting it he was amazed to see the coins disappearing one by one. He searched the whole shop, on the floor, and in every corner, but could find no trace of them. Then he looked up, and saw a piece of thread moving slowly in the air. He grabbed it with his fingers, something dropped to the floor, and there beside him he saw a man. The magic cap was beginning to wear out, and a thread had come loose from one of the seams.

The jeweler seized him with both hands, but when he returned all the money he had stolen and offered him the magic cap, he let him go. Then the jeweler neglected his business and began himself to use the magic cap as the other had done. One day in the harvest time he went to a rich farmer’s house, wearing the magic cap on his head. The yard was full of laborers threshing rice with flails. As he passed through the yard to the house, one of the flails knocked the cap off his head, and it fell in tatters to the ground. So he was discovered, and immediately arrested.

He was brought to trial, as were the husband and wife. They were all condemned to imprisonment and died shortly afterward in prison.