A Prudent Thief

A prudent thief should never drink so much that he becomes bold
Because a thief who boasts and brags will rarely live to grow old
For silence is a thief's best bet and if he breaks this etiquette
Undoubtedly what he will get... will be more trouble than gold
Consider Zhele a thief from Greel, who drank at the Swan and Grouse
He made himself quite popular by buying rounds for the house
One night in drunken revelry, he made a bet with prideful glee
But later on he would agree... he never should've been soused
A thief's best friends are luck and speed, alertness, cunning and stealth
And ale can cause these all to flee and cheat a thief of his wealth
But add to this a drunken dare to steal a lock of the Empress' hair
Then even a fool should be aware... this may be bad for your health
So Zhele did stumble through the door in his most fearless state
He slipped in shadows past the guard and snuck through the palace gate
Then giggling he scaled the wall so drunk he thought he could not fall
For wasn't he the best of all... and surely favored by Fate
As he climbed in he saw a girl who was dressed in cloth not fur
A palace maid? Perhaps a cook? T'was difficult to be sure
A homely lass she did appear, but anyone looks good through beer
So when she asked, "Why are you here?"... he said he was there for her
He showered her with compliments for flattery was his skill
And so they spent a pleasant time as any young couple will
But as the dawn lit their embrace, he recognized the lady's face
From every golden coin it graced... and suddenly he felt ill
He'd heard that drink was dangerous and now he knew for a fact
For thieves caught in the palace were hanged or stretched upon a rack
But as this thief was kind and bold, the empress gifted him with gold
(Then the guard made sure that he'd been told... he'd be killed if he ever came back.)
And so he was a thief no more for that was part of the deal
His bet was lost because she gave him what he went there to steal
So other thieves may scorn and mock his name and tale but still they flock
For a drink and a look at the Empresses Lock... the finest tavern in Greel