In one ancient city of our Russia, approximately at least in Moscow, lived the famous gypsy Pikhta. He was famous in many cities, and among all the gypsies they said a lot of good things about him.
And Pikhta was famous for the fact that he lived in wealth and luxury, although he never stole anything from anyone in his life. He lived as a sedentary, took care of horses: he sold them and exchanged them at fairs and horse markets. This is how he accumulated his large fortune. He lived happily with his wife Rubina, but they had no children.
And in one nomadic camp lived two brothers: the elder was called Khelado, and the younger was called Bota. These brothers also had a great reputation for stealing a lot: horses were stolen in herds, villages, shops were robbed - and they were never caught. The brothers Halado and Botha were lucky in stealing.
One day the brothers brought horses to the fair, sold them for a big profit, and then went to the tavern and began to drink in joy. So the younger brother says to the elder:
“My brother Khelado, our fame is indeed spreading among the gypsies!” We are revered for our dexterity and luck. And in the whole world there are no gypsies equal to us.
“Oh, my brother,” the elder brother answers him, “is this glory?” I heard that a gypsy named Pikhta lives in Moscow; he doesn’t steal, but lives ten times richer than us.
- Well, my brother, let's go and look at this gypsy. Is he as famous and as rich as the gypsies say about him?
No sooner said than done. The brothers saddled their horses, harnessed the cart with goods and set off. They drive up to the white stone street and ask:
- Tell me, my dears, where does the gypsy Pikhta live here?
And everyone - young and old - showed them the way. The brothers were surprised.
They drove up to Pikhta's house.
When a gypsy comes to a gypsy, at least a little hospitality must be shown to him. Among the gypsies, a guest is held in high esteem: he will have a piece of bread, even the last one, and he will also have a corner where to spend the night.
When the brothers came in, Fir immediately sat them down at the table and began to treat them. And after the refreshments the conversation began.
What is the first question gypsies have when talking?
– What kind of gypsies are you? What kind of tribe? Where did you come from? – asked Fir.
This is how gypsies usually make acquaintances.
- Well, more, have you heard about two brothers - Khelado and Bot, who live richly, that they steal all their lives and never get caught?
“Yes,” answered Fir, “I heard it, I heard it more than once.” These gypsies are getting a lot of fame.
- Well, we are these brothers! And we came to see you, because your fame is even greater than ours.
As Pikhta found out what guests had come to him, he immediately ordered his workers to raise the servants and set a rich table. And the feast began.
What do the gypsies talk about at the table?
Those who deal with horses talk about horses, about horse fairs, about flails and all that, and those who steal talk about theft.
So the brothers started talking about theft. Fir listened to them, listened, and then said:
- Listen, chavale, I know a place here. So, if you stole in this place, then not only you, but also your children will have enough goodness for the rest of their lives.
Tell a thief such a thing - will the thief leave behind? So the brothers began to ask:
-What kind of place is this?
Only the brothers did not interrogate just like that, but with an approach. They were cunning, they knew that if they simply asked where they could steal more wealth, then no one would show them such a place.
So they decided to start from afar. And then slowly get down to business, and not just, but to knock down Pikhta, although they knew that he had never stolen in his life, he had never even stolen a piece of bread in his life.
One way or another, the brothers talked with Fir until he agreed to go with them.
– So where is this wealth hidden?
“Yes, here in the city,” Pikhta answers, “I know everything here.” As soon as night falls, we'll go.
Night has come. The brothers can't sit still, they can't wait, they really want to get down to business as quickly as possible.
- Well, guys, take a bag each and let's go. They took the bags. They're coming. It's dark outside. The city is unfamiliar to the brothers. They don’t know where the Fir is leading them. And he led them to an ancient monastery. When the thieves saw the monastery, they got scared:
-Where have you taken us?!
- Yes, there is so much gold in this monastery that it is enough for ten lives, and you can take as much of it as a person can carry.
The brothers stopped and said:
“Listen, our dear friend, we won’t go to the monastery.” For the life of me, we won’t go to the monastery. You say: if we steal a child from a mother, we will steal it! And never set foot in the monastery. What are you doing?
There used to be such a law.
When a thief was caught stealing, he was put in prison, sent to Siberia for hard labor, and if a thief was caught in a church, then immediately, without trial, without understanding, a rope was put around his neck. There was only one trial for the church - execution! And therefore, no matter how much Fir tried to persuade the brothers, they only “no” and “no”. Pikhta got angry and went to the gate himself.
-What kind of thieves are you? - shouts. - I have never stolen in my life, but I’m walking, and you... What kind of thieves are you?!
What to do, the brothers had to go.
They knocked down the heavy monastery locks from the gates and entered. Fir lights the candles and begins to put gold into bags. He knew well where this gold lay, he saw it many times when he visited the monastery on business. Maybe they would have left unnoticed if all three of them had put the gold into bags at once, but the brothers got scared and stood rooted to the spot. It was then that the watchman saw them. And when I saw it, I raised the alarm.
Monks came running from all sides and tied up the gypsies. They threw them into a dark cell and locked the door. And they placed guards outside.
Botha and Khelado were overcome with anxiety. Melancholy fell upon them. They realized that retribution was close and became despondent.
- Why are you hanging your heads, chavale? Wait, the morning will come - we’ll pay off, I know all the bosses here, and there’s enough money, there’s no point in grieving for your life...
“You don’t know the laws well, more, and you also live in the city, because that’s why we were afraid to go to the monastery, because we would have to pay for this theft with our lives.” They'll execute us in the morning, you know that!
The brothers grieved, grieved, and one said to the other:
- Well, my brother, you and I have stolen a lot in our lifetime, lived in wealth and glory, yes, apparently, the end has come for us!
And the brothers fell asleep. And Pikhta, when the words of his brothers finally reached him, grabbed his head and began to tear out his hair:
- My God! And what made me go stealing? After all, I won’t be able to live through my wealth in my entire life.
And why the hell did he get me into such a thing?!
With these bitter thoughts he fell asleep. And in a dream a great miracle happened to him. Fir is sleeping and sees: he is lying in his cell sleeping, and a woman comes up to him and begins to wake him up, tugging at his shoulder.
- Get up, Fir, get up, listen to what I tell you. Fir gets up.
- You changed your life.
And therefore your life will change. Tomorrow morning the door will open, the executioners will come in and lead you to execution along with your horse thieving brothers. And only I can help you. Think carefully, I give you five minutes: either you will be executed, or you will take me as your wife. You will leave your wife and take me...
Fir didn’t think long when he heard such words. “Rather than accept execution, wouldn’t it be better for me to remarry,” he decided.
- So this is what I will punish you with.
Tomorrow everything will be as I tell you now. They will take you to execution, but before you go with them, you will give the guards the package that you will now receive from me.
This package will be passed on to the authorities, and it will go further and further, higher and higher and reach the king himself. Please note: everything that is written in this package, you must promise to deliver to the king. Just ask him to let you go for exactly two weeks. And let the brothers sit in the cell until you return.
If the king agrees to your terms, he will let you go. Then come to your wife Rubina and spend three nights with her. But remember: these will be the last three nights you spend with her. And then go outside the city, there is an old mill there by the river, its wing is still broken. Drive up to her and wait for me...
The woman said these words and seemed to disappear into the ground, as if she had never existed. Fir woke up in fear and began to wake up his brothers:
- Get up, guys, get up, it seemed like a painfully wonderful dream to me.
-What kind of dream?
- Well, back and forth, this way and that, a gypsy woman came to me in a dream and promised that if I took her as my wife, she would save us from execution. She promised to give me some kind of package...
The brothers looked at Fir with fear and saw: he had a package in his hands, and something was written on the package in gold letters. The brothers looked at each other and realized that it was not a dream...
Morning came, and everything turned out as the gypsy said. The doors of the cell opened and the executioners entered. Just as they were about to take the gypsies out, Pikhta stopped them and handed them a package. The executioners read the inscription on the package and again locked the gypsies and left.
And this package went further and further, higher and higher, and this package reached the king himself. The king read what was written there and almost jumped to the ceiling. And this is what was written there: “Not the Tsar’s grandfather, but in the tenth or great-tenth generation, there was a magical miracle checker in the Tsar’s family. If you swing your saber once, ten people fall down dead, if you swing another, a regiment of soldiers lies down, if you swing it a third time, the whole army is defeated! This saber served the old generation faithfully and would have served you, Tsar, if it had not been lost in ancient times. Only I, the gypsy Pikhta, know where and how to get this saber. But for this you must have mercy and release me and my comrades...” The king was surprised, but did not believe what was written, he ordered to look up all the old archives and find out whether such a miracle saber had ever existed. And so the royal sages began to dig up these archives. They picked up three centuries worth of books and found out that there really was such a magic blade. They reported to the king. The king was surprised:
- How can it be that I, the king, don’t even know, but some gypsy knows! Come on, bring him here! Maybe he really will be able to get the magic blade?
And so they bring Fir to the king.
The gypsy looked around and marveled at the royal wealth.
– Is it true that you can get a magic sword? - asked the king.
- The true truth, Your Royal Majesty, give me two weeks and I will bring it to you. But only one condition: if I bring you a saber, then promise to let me and my two comrades go free.
The king could not resist such a temptation, he promised to release Fir and the horse thieving brothers in exchange for a magic saber, only adding at the end:
“But remember, if you don’t get the saber by the deadline or you deceive me, a brutal death awaits all three of you.”
The king issues a decree at the same hour: “Keep the gypsy horse thieves Bota and Khelado in custody, and release the gypsy Pikhta for state reasons.”
Pikhta remembered the gypsy woman’s order and went home to his wife Rubina for three days and three nights. He arrives and Rubina falls on his neck:
- How did you manage to come?!
“She already knew about what happened to her husband.
Pikhta told how it happened and did not hide anything. Rubina was a smart woman; she understood everything right away.
“Why,” he says, “you should go to execution and accept death, it’s better to marry another woman and live with her.” You'll be alive, God willing, and you won't forget me.
Pikhta spent three nights with his wife, and when his time was up, early in the morning he collected his belongings and went out of town to an old broken mill, where the woman who appeared to him in a dream ordered him to come.
How much or how much time has passed, Fir looks: dust rose in a column on the road, and the tramp of horses was heard. He sees: a tarantass is riding, drawn by three horses, and the same gypsy woman is sitting on the tarantass. Pikhta saw a lot of horses in his life, he himself had trotters that would make you look at them, but he had never seen anything like the ones the gypsy had. And then this carriage arrives, loaded with all sorts of goods, and stops.
As Fir looked at this gypsy in the light of day, his eyes widened - what a beauty she was!
So even if there was no execution, he would have married her.
- Sit on the box, my beloved husband, now we have common reins. And although it is customary among gypsies that a wife must obey her husband in everything, only now, until these two weeks have passed, will you have to do everything that I order you.
There is nothing to do, agreed Fir. Then the gypsy orders:
- Turn your horses and let's go back.
They travel for a day, they travel for two.
On the way, a tent is set up, a fire is lit, everything is as it should be. On the third morning the gypsy woman says to Pichta:
“Listen, my dear husband, I know that you are a rich gypsy, that you always lived in abundance, in your own home.
Now we are going to my father, I am his only daughter. My father is twenty times richer than you. His workers will meet us half a mile from the house, you will hang out with him for a whole week, and when the week is over, get ready to leave. He will accompany you and give you gifts, he will not spare you anything, even if you take fifty horses, he will not refuse, and all the horses are with carts full of goods. Just don’t take anything, tell him, my beloved father-in-law, just as you value your daughter, so value your son-in-law. I don’t need your wealth, I have enough of my own. Better give me this saber that hangs on the wall above the bed. Your father will not be able to refuse you, but if he agrees, then you will save your life, because this is the very saber that you promised to bring to the king.
Well, both in words and in words. They finally arrive at their father's house. Is this house a real palace? Workers come out to meet them, greet them, help them get off the tarantass, unharness the horses and unload the goods. Then the father comes down the stairs, an old man about eighty years old, with a gray beard to the waist:
- Hello, Zara, my only daughter, hello, Pikhta, my beloved son-in-law! Honor to our dear guest!
Come into the house.
They took Fir by the arms and led him to the table. And the feast began: well, the husband of their only daughter is being greeted.
So the week passes in feasts and merriment. The time has come to part. The old man came out to see off his son-in-law and his daughter and said:
- Hey, workers, harness the horses as much as Fir orders, and load all my wealth. It's of no use to me, an old man. I have one daughter and one son-in-law. Let them have it all.
Here Fir remembered Zara’s order and asked the old man:
“Listen, my beloved father-in-law, I don’t need your wealth, I have so much of my own that the two of us can’t live our whole lives.” You’d better give me that saber that’s hanging on your wall.
Here the old man cried bitter tears:
“Oh, my dear son-in-law, it would be better if you left me in just my shirt and took away all my wealth, than to ask for this saber.” Oh well, so be it, I’ll give it up for the sake of my only daughter, she really likes you so much.
And here again Fir and Zara drive up to Moscow, to that old mill where they once met.
“And now, Fir, you must leave me.” I will pitch a tent here and wait for you. And you go straight to the Tsar and take this saber and remind him of his promise, so that he does not forget to release the gypsy horse thieves. And then go to your wife, spend three nights with her and come to me at the old mill, this time forever.
That's what Pichta did. He came to the palace, but the guards did not let him in. Will you just get to the king like that?
They reported to his royal majesty that some gypsy was asking him, saying he had taken out a magic saber for the royal favor. When the king heard it, he ordered him to let him through immediately. And so Fir appeared before the king.
The king saw the magic saber, couldn’t believe his eyes, and called the king’s wise men. For three days the wise men tinkered with this saber, studying all the inscriptions on it and checking them with ancient books. And it turned out that yes, that same magic checker is there. They reported to the king. The king rejoiced:
“You kept your word, gypsy, and that’s why I won’t go back on my word.” I grant you freedom, you and your comrades. Go wherever you want, but tell your brother horse thieves not to get caught again, otherwise it’s a saber!
By the royal mercy, they released Botha and Khelado, they jumped on their horses, and only dust rose in a column.
Since then no one has heard of them again.
Fir went to see his old wife, but he didn’t go home: he had fallen in love with Zara and couldn’t forget her. But you have to keep your word. Somehow he suffered for three nights and ran to the old mill, to the tent, where Zara was waiting for him.
“I did everything as you told me, my beloved wife, what are we going to do next?” Zara answers him:
- Now, my dear husband, we will live according to the gypsy custom, now you are my master, you decide what to do next. If you want, move wherever you like, if you don’t want, we’ll build a rich house. Live as you lived, just don’t leave me.
All his life, Pikhta lived as a sedentary, but wandered around a little, and he liked it so much that he decided to go on a nomad camp.
“Only, Zara, you and I will go to those places where the gypsies don’t know us, I can’t roam in these parts.”
What will people say about me? That he left his old wife and took another, that he didn’t steal all his life, and then he got caught stealing? No, I can’t roam in these places. Let's go with you to the southern lands, thousands of miles away from here.
No sooner said than done! They harnessed their horses and went to distant places where no one knew them. They met many gypsy camps on their way. The gypsies were jealous of Pikhta because of his wife, because no one had seen such a beauty. They were surprised at what famous horses were harnessed to their cart. As soon as they see them, they stand up, their eyes bulge, and everyone thinks, they say, this gypsy is nothing other than a thief, and these horses are stolen, it cannot be that he acquired them with his intelligence and talent.
The gypsies began to take a closer look at Fir. As time passes, the gypsies see: a person lives by his own mind, does not steal, but changes horses. Once he changes, he changes twice, and you see - his wealth increases. The gypsies began to greet Pikhta, and again great fame spread about him. He was a kind man, and poor people always huddled around him.
A year has passed. Fir's wife began to suffer; the time had come to give birth. When her son was born, Zara calls her husband and says:
“I see you are going to baptize your son.” But forgive me, my dear husband, I’m really unwell now, I can’t go to church, let’s give him a name ourselves. Bye.
And when I get better, then we’ll baptize.
“Okay, let it be your way,” agreed Fir, “but what name will we call it?”
Fir began to think, but no matter what name he says, Zara doesn’t like everything, they’ve already gone through a hundred names, but his wife doesn’t like them all. Fir loved his wife and respected her so much that he never went against her word.
“Then give,” he says, “you yourself a name for the boy.” Whatever name you give, that’s what it will be.
“Come on, Fir,” says Zara, “let’s name our son Bang.”
- Well, Bang is Bang, what a name for a gypsy. That's what they decided on. That same evening, Zara calls her husband and tells him:
- Listen, Pikhta, to what I tell you. But just remember: fulfill my request, and then everything will be fine with us. You see how sick I am now, how I suffer. I ask you, do not come to my door for three days, go to another place and rest there. And don’t touch me for three days, don’t even dare look at me with one eye.
Fir promised. He went to another canopy and lay down to rest. The day has passed, Fir is impatient. “How,” he thinks, “is my wife there, Zara? Maybe she should help her, bring her something?” I wanted to go to her, but I remembered my promise. The second day passes.
Fir got even more bored. He wants to look at his wife at least with one eye.
The third night has arrived. Fir is completely unbearable.
- What is this! - he shouted in anger. “It turns out I can’t even look at my own wife?”
And he went to Zara.
He opened the curtain, looked and was completely petrified. Zara is sitting in the canopy, bending over a basin of water and whispering something, and horns are sticking out on her head. Fir got scared and screamed, and she jumped up:
– What have you done?! Well, why didn't you keep your word? If only I had waited until morning, you and I would have lived happily for many years. And now I'm not your wife. I can’t wash away the witchcraft spell.
Our son Bang remains for you. Just make sure you take care of him. Time will pass, and he will become a famous gypsy. So famous that people will write songs about him. But it’s not my destiny to be with you.
Even if Fir saw twenty horns on his wife’s head, he still wouldn’t give up on her.
“Zara, my dear wife, don’t leave, I’m not afraid of the witch’s spell, the horns on your head don’t scare me.” We will live with you as we lived before.
- No, Fir, no, you can’t escape fate! Zara left the tent and went into the forest, and Fir did not lag behind, ran after her and shouted:
- Don’t go, Zara, wait!
- Ax, Fir, if you hadn’t entered the tent for three days, everything would have been different.
And the forest is getting thicker and thicker. Suddenly Zara stops and turns around:
- Listen, Fir, my last word. Go back to the tent, take your son and go to your old wife Rubina. Let her help raise Bang.
Zara said so and disappeared, as if she had never existed. Fir rushed about the forest for a long time, shouting, calling his wife, but only the echo responded to him. In the morning, exhausted, Pikhta returned to the camp. And when he returned, he harnessed the horse, loaded the cart with belongings, took little Bang and went to his native place, to Rubina.
Rubina was delighted to see him return. And since she did not have any children of her own, she became attached to Bang as if she were her own son. Only she could not hear this name and took the child to church to baptize, where they gave him the name Vaida. The boy grew up handsome, smart and healthy. When he was two years old, gypsies began to come from all over the area to look at such a handsome man. And when Rubina appeared at fairs and Vaida-Bang, according to gypsy custom, sat behind her, crowds of onlookers gathered to look at the amazingly beautiful gypsy child.
Year after year, Vaida grew in strength and beauty. From childhood, Pikhta taught his son to ride horses, and all the gypsies were surprised that even the wildest horses obeyed the gypsy child.
Finally the boy turned eighteen. One day Vaida’s father drives up to a large gypsy camp. He made a tent, and when it began to get dark, he went to the fire, where the old gypsies had gathered. He sat down in a circle and began to listen to the general conversation.
We talked about horses. And then one old gypsy came in.
“I know,” he says, “about one horse.” You won't find horses like this in the world. No one else on earth has ever sat on this horse. She doesn't even let people get close.
The gypsies made noise and started talking at once.
- Where is such a horse?
- How so?
- Where can I get it, this horse?
“But there’s no way to get it,” answered the old gypsy, “you can’t buy it with money, but you can’t steal it—no one is so lucky.”
The gypsies became agitated again and began to make noise.
- It cannot be that it cannot be stolen.
“And here I am telling you that in life no one will steal this horse.” But there is a rumor that there is a gypsy living in the world who has a son named Bang. So, this Bang is the only one who can steal this horse.
Fir rose:
- Why are you laughing at my son? How do you know that this horse is meant for him? Why do you think he can steal it? After all, my son has never even stolen a crust of bread in his life.
– Is Bang your son?
- My!
- Call him here.
Fir called his son and said:
“Listen, son, this old man says that you can steal some outlandish horse and that no one but you will be able to do this.”
-Where is this horse? – Bang was surprised.
“In the royal stable,” said the old man. “They haven’t found a rider for this horse for three years now.” Only you alone can handle it.
The gypsies didn’t believe it, they laughed, saying, how can it be that adults can’t sit on a horse, and some boy will come, tame it, and even steal it. And the horse is from the royal stable!
There are literally thousands of servants there.
The old man’s words sank into Bang’s heart, and his soul became restless.
“Father,” he says, “if you send me, I’ll go, but if you don’t send me, I’ll still run away!”
Could Fir let his son do such a thing? I tried to steal only once in my life and then I got caught. And here is the only son, native blood.
Pikhta began to shout at his son, began to cry, to persuade him, saying, “I will never let you go, but can you hold him back?”
- Just give me, father, your gray horse and a Circassian saddle, upholstered in gold, and give me a silver bridle, and give me a brocade shirt, and give me morocco boots.
Fir sees that he cannot keep his son, he agreed and did everything as Bang asked. And Vaida-Bang went to the royal palace.
Whether long or short, he drove up to the royal palace. And on the balcony sit two royal daughters - Milana and Belana. They noticed a handsome gypsy, and their cheeks lit up with crimson fire. They rushed to their father, the Tsar-Father:
- Daddy, dear, look what a handsome man is riding a horse! We have never seen anything like this before.
How can we find out where he came from and why he came to us?
- Hold him back, daddy, call him here.
The king loved his daughters and ordered his servants to detain the gypsy and bring him to the palace. They brought the handsome man to the king, who asked him:
- Where did you come from, good fellow, what merchant-master’s son? What should I call you? The gypsy answers:
“I am not the son of a merchant master, but a simple man, a gypsy family, and some call me Vaida and some Bang.”
“I didn’t think that you were from a simple gypsy tribe.” You really look like a gentleman. Oh well. And I’ll call you Vaida, I like this name better.
And so the king arranged a ball in honor of Vaida. He invited famous guests: overseas kings, princes with their wives and daughters. Let them admire what a handsome gypsy lives in his kingdom. When the guests began to sit down, the royal daughters - Milana and Belana - almost fought among themselves over who should sit next to Vaidushka.
And so that no one would be offended, they seated Vaida in the middle between them. And when the ball began, there was quite a scandal: what woman wouldn’t want to dance with such a handsome man? Both the one wants it and the other one. Don't tear the gypsy to pieces. The ball ended, the feast began. The guests began to talk among themselves. And it so happened that we started talking about horses. After all, even among the royal family there are horse lovers. And that’s what Vaida seems to need.
“Listen,” he says, “your royal majesty, it has come to my attention that you keep an outlandish horse in your stable, that you cannot find a better horse in the whole world than this one, that for three years you cannot have our rider who could sit on it for a minute.” What if I try?
Here the guests vying with each other:
- Order, Your Royal Majesty! After all, everyone knows that gypsies know how to handle horses, that they are famous riders and riders.
- What if we let this gypsy try to mount an outlandish horse? Let him try his luck. And we will have great fun.
And then the king’s daughters stood up for the gypsy. They want to see a handsome man on a horse, and they are afraid for him, what if something happens, maybe he falls, hurts himself to death. But still curiosity prevailed. One way or another, the king allowed him to bring out a horse for Vaida. All the guests went out into the courtyard, settled down, and waited to see what would happen next.
Vaida approached the horse, and the king shouted after him:
- Just watch, gypsy, ride around the yard, but don’t you dare go outside the gate! I know you!
And Vaida’s heart skips a beat.
After all, it is known that the gypsy character is violent, unbridled, if he comes home and says that he rode the king’s horse, that will be enough conversation for a hundred years to come. Oh well!
Before sitting down on the mine, Vaida ordered to put his saddle, upholstered in gold, on it, put on his father’s silver bridle, and take a gypsy bird cherry whip in his hands. Only then did he jump up. And how he jumped up and let his horse run across the yard once, a second time, and on the third time, he waved his whip and galloped away from the yard.
Then all the guests shouted in one voice:
- Ay-ay-ay! The gypsy stole the horse!
Is it really that easy to run away from the king? After all, it’s not like stealing a horse from a village stable. Thousands of servants rushed towards Vaida, blocked the road, pulled Vaida from the saddle, twisted her arms back and brought her to the king.
“Eh,” Vaida thinks, “the old man deceived me, to my misfortune I trusted him, I was not destined to steal this horse.”
The king frowned, and Milana and Belana fell to their knees in front of him:
- Daddy, dear one, spare Vaidushka. After all, you couldn’t find a rider for your horse for three years, but he sat down - and it was as if this horse had been raised for him. Don't ruin him. Better yet, give him an outlandish horse, show him royal mercy.
What should the king do? Get angry, and the guests watch how he behaves. If you cut off a gypsy's head, they will say that he is cruel and unjust and does not love his daughters, on the other hand, it is painful to part with the horse.
- Eh, it was not! Take this horse, Vaida, there’s no one to ride it anyway!
“Take it, Vaida, take it,” Milan and Belana clapped their hands, “this is our gift.” But make sure you don’t forget us, at least check on us occasionally. It’s nice for you and me to sit for an hour.
The royal daughters fell in love with the gypsy, but they didn’t dare mention it to their father. Where has it been seen that the king’s daughters should marry a simple gypsy?
They issued a royal decree for the horse, recorded the horse's pedigree so that no one would take this horse away from the gypsy, and released it in good health.
He fastened Vaid to his father’s gray royal horse, and he thought: “But they will take away my strange horse, they won’t look at the royal documents, they will take me away out of envy. Let me repaint it!” As I thought, I did so. And the strange horse looked like a dead nag. Vaida went to the market, sold his father’s gray one and went to his home.
He had already driven halfway when he met a gypsy camp. Near the river, on the lawn, there are tents. Vaida drives up to the richest tent and sees an old gypsy woman sitting next to it. Vaida decided not to reveal that he was a gypsy.
“Hello,” said Vaida.
“Hello, well done,” the old woman answered him, “hello, big gentleman.” I see you want to try your luck. Hey Ruzha, come here. The big gentleman has arrived and wants to tell his fortune.
The tent flap opened and Ruzha came out. When Vaida saw her, he almost flew off the saddle. He had never met such a beauty in his life. Ruzha began to tell fortunes for him and take money from him. No matter how much he asks, he gives. Ruzha comes into his brother’s tent and says:
“My brother, I got caught by a rich gentleman, no matter how much money I ask, he doesn’t bargain, he gives it right away.” And her brother answers her:
“Listen, Ruzha, don’t take a lot of money from him, but take his brocade shirt for me, it’s too good.” I really want to walk around in it and show off.
Ruzha began to guess again, and when Vaida started giving her money, she began to ask him:
“I don’t need your money, big master, but give me your brocade shirt for my brother.” Vaida is silent, but you know she’s putting money in for herself. Ruzha came running to her brother again, and he stood his ground:
“Don’t take the money, sister, as you wish, but take his brocade shirt.”
Ruzha had just sat down to tell Vaida’s fortune for the third time when he told her in Gypsy:
“I didn’t come to you to guess, Ruzha-beautiful, but, having learned about your beauty, I came to woo you.”
- My brother will not give me to you. Many gypsies have already come, but to no avail. Apparently, my destiny is to last forever.
“Don’t be sad, Ruzhitsa, just tell me: do you love me or not?”
Ruzha didn’t say anything, only her face became flushed and her eyes lit up.
– Do you agree to run away with me?
“What are you saying, Vaidushka, we can’t get away from our brother, he’ll give chase and kill both you and me.” My brother has one horse - no one has yet been able to jump this horse. And we can’t get away from him.
-What color is the horse?
- Voronoi. My brother goes to the city on it for the races, and gallops at the races. Many people gather there: the richest of the rich with overseas trotters. But no one has yet been able to outrun my brother.
– Listen, Ruzha, what I’ll tell you, I’ll go to your brother now and challenge him to a duel. If he defeats me, then I will buy his horse, even if he asks ten prices for it, but if my horse comes first, then you stand at the circle, and I will grab you on the saddle and take you away.
Ruzha agreed. She fell in love with Vaida with all her heart and was ready to go with him even to the ends of the world.
Only one thing worried her soul: she was afraid that her brother would take revenge on Vaida for her. Ruzha went to her brother and called him:
- Go, brother, the master himself is calling you, he has business with you, he says.
The brother came out to Vaida:
- Hello, our guest, what did you want? “I heard that you have rich horses, rich and famous.”
– I have horses, people say it’s true.
“Will you sell me some?” But only one so that I can use it to win all the prizes at the races...
“You can have one like that,” said Ruzhi’s brother and brought out a beautiful bay horse. - Look how beautiful she is!
“No, dear friend,” Vaida shook his head. “I don’t need such nags.”
“Okay, then take another one,” the brother winced with displeasure and led out the gray horse. What a horse it was!
Not a horse, but a sight for sore eyes: slender, knee-length mane, falling in waves, not running, but flying above the ground.
“Listen, buddy, I see you are planning to deceive me,” Vaida became seriously angry. “Offer horses like these to the poor, and bring me an expensive one to match.”
“Darling, you say,” the brother grinned. “Well, I have such a horse, but you just don’t have enough money to buy it.”
- Bring me one like this.
Ruzhi's brother brings out the black horse. When this horse hits with its hoof, sparks fly; when it neighs, the trees bend.
“It’s a good horse,” said Vaida.
- Set a price, I’ll buy it!
Then Ruzhi’s brother set a price for which a whole herd of such horses could be bought. Then Vaida says to him:
– Do you think that I don’t know the value of horses?! Your horse is worth ten times less than the price you set for it. But I will buy it, although on one condition: We will now ride with you to the circle, and if your horse gallops over mine, then I will pay you your price, but if my horse runs away from yours, then I don’t need such a horse for Christ’s sake.
“Show me your horse,” Ruzhi’s brother asked, and when Vaida brought out his horse, the gypsy fell down laughing and began to roll on the ground: in his entire life he had never seen such a monster.
The hair on the horse was matted together, you couldn’t tell what color it was, the only thing the horse had was that it was slender, and it was a nag of nags.
“Can you compete with me with such a horse?” Yes, I will skip you three times!
So they decided. They went around the circle. Rouge waved her handkerchief, and the horses rushed forward. While his brother was going around one circle, Vaida had already gone around the circle three times, but he didn’t do the fourth time, he jumped up to Rouge, threw her into the saddle and shouted in gypsy:
“Come to me for a brocade shirt, I won’t spare anything for my brother-in-law!”
And the brother shouts after him:
- Why, like a wolf, grabbed a sheep and left... Hey, people! Ride in pursuit...
But the chase did not last long, because the gypsies realized that they would not be able to catch up with the strange horse. So they returned with nothing.
And Vaida came home on the royal horse and brought his beautiful wife. And for a long time after that, his fame spread among the gypsies. Vaida-Bang lived a happy, amazing life with his wife Ruzha, but the gypsies wrote other tales and songs about this.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru