It was a long time ago. There lived the Banotori gypsies. They lived differently: there were poor gypsies, there were rich ones, and among all of them one stood out - the leader. Wherever he says, the gypsies will go.
And there was one gypsy camp, twelve families, no more. No one has money, no passports, they were hiding from military service and went into the thicket of the forest.
After all, service wasn’t like that before—you were kept as a soldier for twenty-five years. Who would want to give their child as a soldier? After all, a gypsy’s child is like a piece of bread, whether he is rich or poor. So the gypsies hid in the forests, hungry and cold, and ate whatever they could get their hands on: they caught fish, picked mushrooms, and begged bread for their children in the villages.
And there was one gypsy in this camp, very small, like a child, but his shoulders were broad, and he had extraordinary strength. This gypsy said to himself:
“Even though I’m small, I’m strong; where I can’t take it with courage, I’ll take it with force.” The gypsies are afraid of me, they are all in my hands, no matter what business I go to, I will pick up the keys for everything. I still don’t know my strength properly.
Somehow this camp wandered onto the lands of a prince, and this prince had a misfortune: a terrible monster attacked his lands, it settled in the prince’s forest and did not allow anyone passage. Whoever goes to the forest does not return home. What did the prince do to get rid of such a misfortune? He sent his men with stakes and clubs - no one came back. The prince called the soldiers.
These soldiers went into the forest to find the monster and disappeared. And then the prince placed a pillar near the forest with the inscription: “There is no road ahead, no traveler will pass, and no passer-by will pass.”
The camp approached this post, the leader read this inscription, everyone made noise, and the little gypsy jumped forward and shouted:
- Well, romale, I’ll go into the forest, who should I be afraid of? Am I really going to be afraid of the beast of the forest, or the rich prince, or someone else?..
- And where are you going, fool? - the leader told him. - Look, the master's servants will catch you and make you a soldier.
- It’s okay, I’m a happy guy.
The gypsy went into the forest. Suddenly he hears: as if someone is groaning, and who is groaning, God knows. The gypsy followed the voice. He went out into the clearing and saw: a monster was lying, its tail was long, long, and its head was like that of a crocodile. This monster lies and snores, sleeping in the sun.
He grabbed the gypsy club, came closer, moved the monster, and it turned around and started snoring again. Only once did the gypsy crack the monster between the ears - it immediately gave up the ghost. The gypsy sat down next to the monster and waited. Won't he move? He waited a little, and then came closer, opened the monster’s mouth, looked at the broken head - it was really dead.
The gypsy returned to the camp:
- Well, is everyone here?
- That's it, that's it.
The gypsy told about what happened to him.
“That’s what you all say: one says he’s poor, another says he’s stupid, the third says he’s weak.” That's all you gypsies are afraid of. Why wasn't I scared? Why did I go alone for everyone? Either live or die, go and that's it!
But it must be said that the prince, on whose land the gypsies came, could not stand the spirit of the gypsies. So he sent his officer to drive the gypsies out of the prince’s lands. An officer arrives at the camp, gathers the gypsies and says:
- Come on, gypsies, get out of here! All the same, you shouldn’t go into the forest, because a monster lives there. It will devour you all.
“Eh, boss,” the little gypsy stepped forward, “you’re a little late, there’s no longer any monster in the world, I went into the forest and dealt with it alone.”
The officer laughed:
- Eh, you tramp deceiver, can you cope with him? A whole company of soldiers went against him and did not return, and you say that only one managed to kill the monster.
– If you don’t believe me, let’s go and see! - said the gypsy, grabbed the officer by the hand and dragged him into the forest. The officer realized then that they were not joking with him, he begged, and knelt before the gypsy.
“Let go,” he says, “of the gypsies, I’ll get a hold of you, I won’t be able to even look at this monster.”
Just the mention of him fills me with fear. It’s impossible to count how many soldiers have already died in the forest. The prince even issued a decree that whoever overcomes the monster, he will remove twenty-five years of service from him, and if a fugitive does this, he will forgive him and issue him a passport.
When the gypsy heard such words, he grabbed the officer’s hand even tighter and pulled him back, and he was already shouting:
“It’s better to take my horse, but don’t drag it into the forest.” Gypsy, my dear, let me go! If that’s what you want, let’s go and take the soldiers to help. Let's go to the prince.
“Well,” the gypsy realized, “let’s go!” That the prince will kill me, or what?
They came to the prince.
- I am a gypsy, I killed your monster. The prince winced, looking at the gypsy, but there was nothing to do, you couldn’t renounce your words.
“Well,” says the prince, “show me the killed monster.”
“Eh, no,” said the gypsy, “you, master, first feed him, give him something to drink, and then ask for directions.”
They fed the gypsy and gave him something to drink.
He rested a little with the prince, and then the prince gathered a whole regiment of soldiers, took the gypsy, and everyone went into the forest to look at the killed monster.
Before reaching the place, the entire regiment of soldiers fled in different directions.
“Oh, you warriors,” the gypsy spat and walked on alone.
He put the monster on his shoulders and brought it to the prince.
- Do you see? - the gypsy asks the prince.
- I see.
- Killed?
- Killed.
- Well, now fulfill your promise: free us gypsies from military service, give passports to the whole camp, and don’t touch my camp on your land again, otherwise I’ll throw you off the throne.
The prince of the gypsy, who defeated the monster, was frightened and did everything as he said. And just in case, he left the gypsy with him to serve as a hero, you never know.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru