Most master thief stories stand outside the usual ideas of morality. However, a thirteenth-century minstrel could hardly let thieves, even such engaging ones, get off unscathed; the mores of his time forced him to prove to his audience that crime doesn’t pay. But no performer worth his salt was going to spoil a perfectly good story! Rather than stray too far from the traditional—and successful—master thief motif, the performing minstrel would do what minstrels of the period customarily did with other, even juicier “sinner” stories: He would simply tack on a moral after the fact, warning against the keeping of such bad (if undeniably entertaining) company.

Josepha Sherman writes short fiction and folklore-based novels for adults and young people. Her writing credits include two fantasy novels based on Slavic folklore, The Shining Falcon and The Death-less, and several children’s books, including Vassilisa the Wise and The Dark Gods.