Around 2500 years ago, in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, there lived a humble farmer named Ranaa. Ranaa was known throughout the village for his honesty and hard work, tending his small paddy fields with dedication. Life was simple but fulfilling, revolving around the changing seasons and the blessings of the land.
One fateful night, while Ranaa slept peacefully, a cunning thief named Sethuhami slipped into the royal warehouse. The warehouse held treasures collected for the king’s grand temple offerings. Sethuhami, light-footed and sharp-eyed, managed to steal a small bag of gold coins and disappeared into the night like a shadow.
As dawn broke, the thief realized the stolen bag might make him a target. He sought a place to hide it temporarily, choosing Ranaa’s secluded field on the village’s outskirts. Sethuhami buried the bag deep in the soil, intending to retrieve it after the chaos had died down.
The theft was discovered the next morning, throwing the palace into an uproar. King Mahinda, known for his firm but just rule, ordered his guards to investigate immediately. Following vague tracks and rumors, the guards stumbled upon Ranaa’s field, where the freshly disturbed soil betrayed its secret.
The guards dug up the bag of gold and arrested Ranaa. Despite his protests of innocence, they dragged him to the royal court.
“I swear by the sacred Bodhi tree, I know nothing of this gold!” Ranaa pleaded before the king.
But the evidence against him was damning. The king, though reluctant to punish a man of Ranaa’s reputation, could not ignore the theft of temple offerings. He sentenced Ranaa to beheading, giving him seven days to prepare his soul.
Ranaa’s imprisonment left the village in despair. Meanwhile, Sethuhami, who had been watching from the shadows, felt an unexpected pang of guilt. While he was a thief, he had never intended for an innocent man to suffer in his place.
Driven by a mix of guilt and fear, Sethuhami devised a daring plan. Disguising himself as a merchant, he slipped into the palace under the pretense of delivering fine fabrics. Over the next few days, he observed the guards’ routines and discovered a weak spot in the prison’s defenses.
On the sixth night, under the cover of darkness, Sethuhami crept into the prison. Using a key he had stolen from an unsuspecting guard, he unlocked Ranaa’s cell.
“Who are you?” Ranaa whispered, bewildered.
“There’s no time to explain,” Sethuhami replied. “Follow me if you want to live.”
Together, they slipped past the guards and escaped into the jungle. Sethuhami led Ranaa to the edge of a neighboring kingdom, where they parted ways.
“I owe you my life, but why did you save me?” Ranaa asked.
“You deserved none of this. I am the true thief,” Sethuhami confessed, handing Ranaa a pouch filled with gold. “Take this and start anew. I will bear my own fate.”
Before Ranaa could respond, Sethuhami disappeared into the shadows once more.
The next morning, the palace guards discovered Ranaa missing and reported it to the king. Suspecting an inside job, the king ordered an investigation. Meanwhile, Sethuhami fled to another kingdom, vanishing from history.
Ranaa returned to his village months later, after hearing that the case had been closed. He used the gold not for himself but to rebuild the village temple, a gesture of gratitude for the unseen forces that had protected him.
The story of Ranaa’s innocence and the thief’s surprising act of redemption spread far and wide, becoming a timeless tale of justice, guilt, and the power of doing what is right—even in the darkest circumstances.