It’s true! And not just in Egypt, it’s recorded as a standard burglar technique in 12th century Persia. So much so that catching a fellow in the middle of the night carrying a crowbar and a drill wouldn’t necessarily prove anything, but if he also had a live tortoise with him, well it could only be a professional burglar.
“The tortoise is employed thus. The burglar has with him a
flint-stone and a candle about as big as a little finger. He lights the
candle and sticks it on the tortoise’s back. The tortoise is then
introduced through the breach into the house, and it crawls slowly
around, thereby illuminating the house and its contents.”
