ok, i remember reading this story back in grade school and i have no idea what it is. it was set in the middle ages or something like that, and at the beginning a con artist was caught by a prince who had been searching for him, but the prince agreed to let him go if the con artist could make the richest man in town give him as much money as he wanted.
after getting a few coins from the prince, the con artist goes into town and attempts to do just this by giving the coins to a cobbler in exchange for kindness and starting a rumor that he is rich and repays kindness often. then he goes to the richest guy and gets all he wants, because the guy thinks he will get repaid well.
the con artist gives the proof to the prince and the prince lets him go, but not before the con artist says he won the bet days before when he asked the prince for those few coins to do his magic.
brilliant!!! has anyone else ever read this?