One fine day, Clever Coda decides to take a lil’ trip to the next village over. He’s walkin’ and walkin’, ‘cause that’s how folks got around back in ancient times in our magical land. After goin’ a real long way, his feet start feelin’ tired, and he thinks, “Hmm, I gotta find a cozy spot to rest my bones!” That’s when he spots a cool travelers’ rest house, kinda like a big ol’ sleepover spot with a guard watchin’ over it.
Right away, Clever Coda toddles over, all clumsy-like, and asks the guard, “Hey, mister guard, can I crash here for a bit?” The guard says, “Sure thing, buddy!” So Clever Coda plops down, lays out his twisty walkin’ stick, and starts snoozin’ with a big ol’ smile.
After a lil’ while, the guard shakes him awake, lookin’ all serious. “Hey, Clever Coda! We got a problem! Somethin’ got stolen right here in this rest house, and you gotta figure out who done it!” Clever Coda rubs his eyes, stands up with a goofy trip, and says, “Whoa, no worries, lil’ pal! Let’s get to the bottom of this!”
He waddles inside, all curious, and asks the guard, “What’s the scoop, buddy?” The guard scratches his head and says, “Well, there’s five folks sleepin’ here tonight, ‘sides you. I had this shiny diamond sittin’ safe in my spot, and I saw it there this evenin’. But now, poof! It’s gone! Them five didn’t leave, and when I checked my stuff just now, the box where I kept the diamond was wide open. I was guardin’ the door all night, and you were sleepin’ outside, so one of them five must be the sneaky thief!”
Clever Coda nods, his feathered hat bobbin’, and says, “Alrighty, let’s wake up them sleepyheads!” He rounds up all five travelers—let’s call ‘em Tommy, Sally, Bobby, Jenny, and Mike—and asks, “Hey, pals, did any of ya see that shiny diamond?” They all shake their heads real fast and say, “Nope, we didn’t see nothin’!” The guard even checks their bags, but no diamond shows up. Hmph!
That’s when Clever Coda spots a big ol’ soup pot sittin’ nearby. His eyes twinkle, and he gets a sneaky idea. “Okay, everybody outta here!” he hollers, shooing the guard and the five travelers outside. They all go, lookin’ mighty confused.
Clever Coda grabs that soup pot, plops it on a table, and does somethin’ real clever. He takes some black soot from the bottom where a fire was burnin’ and smears it under the diamond box. Nobody knows what he’s up to, ‘cause he’s grinnin’ like a goofy goose!
Then he calls everybody back in and says, “Listen up, lil’ buddies! This here box is made of sandalwood, and it’s got a special smell. The thief’s gotta have that smell on ‘em ‘cause they touched it. So, one by one, y’all gotta pick up the box and rub the bottom five times. The real thief’s hands will smell extra strong ‘cause they touched it twice!”
The travelers go, “Ooh, cool!” and agree to try. Clever Coda watches as Tommy, Sally, Bobby, Jenny, and Mike each take turns rubbin’ the box. After they’re done, he says, “Alright, let’s see them hands!” They all hold ‘em out, ready to show off.
But here’s the trick—Clever Coda doesn’t even sniff! He just looks real close and sees somethin’ funny. All their hands got black soot on ‘em… except Mike’s! His hands are clean as a whistle! Clever Coda points and laughs, “Aha! You’re the thief, Mike!”
Everybody gasps, “What?! How’d ya figure that out, Clever Coda?” He chuckles and says, “Well, pals, I told ya that sandalwood smell trick, but that was just a lil’ fib to catch the thief! I knew the real thief wouldn’t wanna touch that box again ‘cause they didn’t want us smellin’ nothin’ on ‘em. So, I put that soot underneath. Everybody touched it ‘cept Mike, ‘cause he was too smart to fall for it—meanin’ he’s the one who stole it first!”
Mike hangs his head, and the diamond tumbles out of his pocket. The guard claps, the travelers cheer, and they all gather ‘round Clever Coda for a big ol’ group hug. “You’re the smartest trickster ever!” they yell. Clever Coda just winks and says, “Aw, shucks, just doin’ my thing, buddies!”
