According to the king, the real culprit is the rich merchant because he inherited both the sins and riches of his deceased father, who was the original wrongdoer responsible for building a weak wall that caused a thief's death. The rich merchant escapes punishment because he is too thin to be properly executed on the stake prepared for execution. Since the merchant is too slim to fit the stake suitably, another person who fits the stake is chosen for execution instead, allowing the merchant to avoid punishment.