The forester got into the habit of walking into the camp and getting in the way. As soon as the gypsies spin around the forest, they can’t get anywhere on their business. And such a misfortune came from this forester that at least lie down and die.
But the forester does not let up: he comes to the camp both day and night. In bast shoes, in a caftan, in a sash with tassels - he is purely a man, and his hat is like a Cossack's. He will approach the gypsies and wave his arms, saying, get out of here, this is my place. It’s just that the gypsies didn’t offer him anything.
“Come here, come to us,” they shout, “we’ll pour you tea and feed you pork.”
And the forester will move back a couple of steps and stand taller than the birches. The gypsies will get scared and flee from this place.
This would have gone on for a long time if there had not been some control over the forester. There was a beautiful gypsy in this camp. Even if she were ugly, she would still have great fame. This gypsy sang so loudly that you will be able to hear it. If you listen for ten days, you won’t get tired of it.
One day the forester came again, grew taller than the trees again and began chasing the gypsies through the forest. The gypsies harnessed the horses, and were just about to leave the cursed place, when this gypsy singer came out and spoke to the gypsies.
- Unharness the horses. I’ll try to sing a song to the forest man. Look, he will leave us behind.
The gypsy woman began to sing a song. The forester listened and began to descend lower and lower until he took on an ordinary human appearance. He sat down on a tree stump and listened. But as soon as the gypsy began to approach him, the forester jumped up again and again rose above the birches.
The gypsy steps back, and the forester again returns to normal human height. It seemed like the forest guard was frightened of the gypsy, but at the same time he liked her songs so much that from that time on he stopped driving the camp through the forest and no longer interfered with the gypsies of this camp in their business. But as soon as evening comes, the forester is right there. He sits near the fire and listens to songs.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru