Occupied by this thought, I went into a gaming-house, where I was much
interested and amused by watching the players and observing their
tricks, their sleight-of-hand, their bullying or cringing behaviour to
each other; the reckless profusion of the winners, the muttering
despair of those who had lost.

While overlooking a game of chess, I smiled and made some remark about
a bad move of one of the players, upon which his opponent, turning to
me with a sneer, said "No doubt you think yourself very clever, but
wait till I have finished off this stupid fellow, and I will play you
for any stake you like."

When the game was over, accepting his challenge, I sat down to play,
and won altogether sixteen thousand dínars. Half of this sum I kept
for myself, and half I divided between the gaming-house keeper and the
players who were present. The latter were loud in praise of my
generosity, and of the skill which I had shown in beating that
boaster; the former asked me to dine with him, and I often went to
his house and became very intimate with him, and obtained from him
much information, especially such as had reference to my purpose.

One very dark night, fully directed by him, I set out, determined on
robbery, equipped with a dark dress, a short sword, a spade, a
crowbar, a pair of pincers, a wooden man's head,[4] a magic candle, a
rope and grappling-iron, a box with a bee in it,[5] and some other
implements.

Selecting a house where I knew there was much money, I made a hole in
the wall, and finding all quiet, enlarged it, entered boldly, and
carried off much booty.