Deep in the forest stood an abandoned mill. For a long time, no one lived in that mill or ground grain, because there were rumors that there were ghosts there.
One day a gypsy got a bag of corn somewhere and began to think about where he could grind the grain so that no one would catch him doing this. He remembered about the forest mill and said to his wife:
“Put some bread and a piece of cheese in my bag, I’ll go to the mill to grind corn at night.”
The gypsy made his way to the mill, lit a torch, locked the door and got to work. Just at this time, a giant was returning home from somewhere and heard the sound of a mill wheel. The giant was overcome with curiosity, he went up to the mill and knocked on the door.
- Open it!
“I won’t open it,” the gypsy answers.
- Open it! - shouts the giant. - Otherwise I’ll bring the roof down on you!
The gypsy immediately pulled the cheese out of the bag, stuck his hand into the hole that gaped in the wall, and began to squeeze the cheese in his fist until the juice dripped from it.
- Hey you, brawler! - the gypsy shouted, mocking. “Do you see how water drips from this stone?” Do you want me to rip the guts out of you too?!
The giant did not like such words, and he said in a gentle voice:
- Why did you go crazy in vain? You and I can get along, because I’m not a timid person myself!
The gypsy opened the door, and he and the giant sat until the morning, everyone telling each other about their brave exploits. Finally the giant got hungry and said:
- Hey, gypsy, what should we have for breakfast?
“I have stored everything I need for myself, and you take care of yourself,” the gypsy answers.
- Okay, I'll go and try to get an ox. An ox is enough for two. In the meantime, get some wood to fry the meat.
The giant drove an ox from a nearby pasture, slaughtered it, skinned it and wanted to put it on a spit, but there was still no sign of a gypsy with firewood - the giant had nothing to make a spit out of. He went into the forest and suddenly saw: a gypsy, as if nothing had happened, was digging a hole under a huge beech tree. The giant was surprised and shouted:
- What are you doing?
- Just wait and see! I won’t run back and forth with firewood! I’d rather dig up this beech and drag the whole tree to the mill at once!
- Why do we need a whole tree? - the giant got angry, broke off several huge branches, put them on his shoulders and walked towards the mill.
- What do you want - to walk on water or to turn an ox on a spit? - asks the giant. And the gypsy answers:
“I’d rather turn the ox!”
The giant grabbed the oxhide and went to fetch water. So he returned and looked: one side of the ox was fried, and the other was still completely raw.
- Why don’t you turn the ox over? “Let it be thoroughly fried on all sides,” the giant said reproachfully.
“One side is enough for me,” the gypsy muttered through his teeth, “and if that’s not enough for you, turn it over yourself!”
The giant roasted an ox and said:
- Well, now over food we’ll find out which of the two of us is the real daredevil!
The giant attached himself to the ox on one side, the gypsy on the other, and they began to bite on both cheeks. While he was eating, the gypsy stuffed his pockets and bag full of fried meat. Finally the giant was full, could barely breathe, and fell away from the food. And then he saw that the gypsy had dug a deeper cave in the ox carcass than he did. The giant was moved, hugged the gypsy and said:
- Dear brother, come with me. I want to show my comrades a real daredevil!
The gypsy was flattered by such an honor, and they set off. Soon they came to the dwelling of the giants. At that time, the owners were picking cherries in the garden. The giant bends a tree, holds the top of its head with one hand, and picks the berries with the other. The gypsy liked the work. He approached one giant and seemed to help tilt the tree, and with his free hand he put berry after berry into his mouth. Suddenly the giant let go of the top of his head, the tree straightened up, the gypsy flew into the air and - bang! - plopped right into the bushes, where a jackdaw was sitting in a nest with chicks. The gypsy put the jackdaw in his pocket and climbed out of the bushes as if nothing had happened.
- Why did you let go of the tree? - asks the giant.
- He let you go?! Yes, I saw a bird in the sky and jumped after it. Here she is - look! - And with these words the gypsy pulled out a jackdaw from his pocket.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Gypsy hare runs and screams:
- Hold him! Hold it!
The giant rushed to catch up with the hare, ran after him, ran, but never caught him.
- Oh, you! - the gypsy laughs at him. - Why should you chase birds in the sky if you couldn’t catch the mother animal that runs on the ground!
The giants are amazed and believe the fraudster. They took the gypsy to the upper room to their elder, told about the brave exploits of the gypsy, which they themselves had witnessed, and the elder invited the gypsy to stay with them forever.
In the morning, the elder sent two giants and a gypsy to the water and gave each of them a rolled up waterskin made of oxhide. The poor gypsy is dragging his empty wineskin with all his strength. Either he drags him along the ground, or he puts him on his back, and he keeps thinking about how he can get out of this mess. We came to the source. The giants filled all the waterskins with water, and the gypsy took a shovel and began to dig a ditch from the source to the house.
-What are you up to? - the giants ask.
- Don’t you see? - the gypsy answers. “Why on earth would you carry water every day when you can bring it to the house itself.” There will be plenty of fresh water!
The giants prayed:
- Don't dig a ditch, for God's sake! Our home will also be flooded.
- No, I’ll dig! — the gypsy became stubborn. “Otherwise I’ll never walk on water!”
“Don’t, please don’t dig a ditch, and we’ll carry you and your waterskin all the way to your house!”
The giants told their elder what kind of trouble they managed to avert from the house, and he said:
- If so, now I’ll dress up the gypsy in the forest to get firewood.
In the morning, the elder sends the giants into the forest for firewood, and with them the gypsy. So they came to the forest, each giant took a fancy to a beech tree, cut it down and put it on his shoulder. And the gypsy unraveled a long, very long rope that he had taken with him from home, and lassoed almost half the forest.
-What are you up to? - the giants were surprised.
- Nothing special. Why run to the forest every morning to collect firewood? It’s better that I immediately bring a supply of ten to fifteen days.
The giants prayed:
- Darling, don't! You'll only be cutting wood for the entire yard, and then we'll have to climb over the woodpiles into the house!
“But I’ll still do it my way, otherwise I won’t carry any wood at all!”
“Just listen to us, and we’ll drag you and your bundle home ourselves!”
Until then, the giants persuaded the gypsy until he agreed.
At home they told about the gypsy's new trick. The giants became alarmed. And the elder, after consulting with the entire community, says to the gypsy:
“Our housing is too cramped for such a crowd.” Here's fifty ducats for you and go find another shelter!
- I won’t even think about it! — the rascal answers. “I feel good here too!” I am with you like a thread and a needle - wherever you go, I will go!
The gypsy slept in the kitchen, near the fireplace; it was warm and comfortable there. In the evening, the gypsies hear the giants in the room whispering to each other:
“You have to finish him off, otherwise you won’t get rid of him!”
Having figured out the giants' plan, the gypsy took a saddle from the closet, put it in front of the fireplace instead of himself, covered it, and went to sleep in the closet. After some time, a giant sneaks into the kitchen with a huge iron hammer in his hands. How to fuck: fuck! fuck! fuck!
- Ready! - the giant muttered and went to bed.
The gypsy took the saddle back to the closet, lay down in his place and fell asleep. I woke up before sunrise, fanned the fire in the hearth and started singing songs. The giants came running and were amazed: they saw that the gypsy was alive and well.
- How did you sleep? - they shouted.
- Great! Only the fleas bit me. The giants nudged each other with their elbows in bewilderment and fell silent. And the elder again began to speak to the gypsy:
- No, really, our housing is a bit cramped. And besides, I honestly admit, it’s not appropriate for you to hang around with us, because you’re a hero among heroes. Here's a hundred ducats for you, and go back where you came from!
- Yes, I won’t leave for a thousand ducats! - the gypsy answers. “I feel good here too.” And why should I leave here? I suppose in my house neither the old nor the little one cries or asks for food!
It was a holiday, and therefore the giants did not work, but went into the field to compete to see who could throw the stone the furthest. After all, you and I, although we are not giants, also love this game...
The giant will take the whole block into his palm, lift it to shoulder height, and throw it like that... It’s the gypsy’s turn to throw the stone. Here he asks:
- What kind of fortress is that with a tower visible in the distance?
- Why are you curious?
- Be silent for a moment, now you will see how the tower will fly to the ground! - the gypsy answered angrily.
- Oh-oh! “Don’t throw a stone there,” the giants shouted in unison. “Throw it in the other direction.” Our king lives in that fortress, and if you get into his tower, he will take our heads off our shoulders!
- What do I care! - the gypsy waved him off. “I’m not afraid of you or your king!” - and began to roll up his sleeves. Giants surrounded him:
- Dear, dear brother! Listen to us! We will give you a wineskin filled to the brim with gold, just leave us, for God’s sake! We will deliver you and your luggage all the way home, so you don’t have to sit down!
The frog jumps into the water without coercion, and it didn’t take long to persuade the gypsy either.
He climbed onto the giant's shoulders, the other two grabbed a wineskin full of ducats and went. Suddenly the gypsies hear the elder whispering to the porters:
“I wish you would bring the ducats back!”
The gypsy pretended not to have heard anything. So they came to the gypsy’s house and squeezed through the low door. The giant who was carrying the wineskin of gold bent down and sighed protractedly: “Ufff!” And the gypsy seemed to have been blown away by the wind - he jumped up and rushed to the roof.
- What's happened? - the giants were alarmed.
- Wait, now my chimney will give you the answer, and you will pass it on to your elder, if only you get home alive!
The giants began to run as fast as they could, and the gypsy got the wineskin full of gold ducats. There was so much duka tov in it that it would have been more than enough for all of us!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru