There lived two gypsy brothers. They were engaged in thieves' business. And they had a black horse, but not an ordinary one: as the brothers went to steal, she sensed in advance how the matter would end. If the gypsies notice that a horse is digging the ground with its hoof, it means that there will certainly be some kind of trouble. And always, when getting ready for their trade, the gypsies would put their horse on the road and see how it would behave. And besides, she gave them signs during the theft: when she sensed something unkind, she began to laugh, snore, and rage. Then the brothers immediately grabbed their hats and left quickly.
Once the brothers went to steal. They left the horse on the road, like a lookout, while they approached the barn. And the locks on the doors are huge, ancient, and cannot be broken in any way.
Here one brother says to another:
“You know what, my brother, let’s dig under the door.”
They made a tunnel. One of the brothers climbed into the barn, and the other remained at the gate to accept the loot. But it must be said that in every shed there lives a yard servant.
What is a yard? He takes on the form of a human, a bird, and an animal. And that’s why he lives at court, that he patronizes all cattle. If a farmer likes a horse’s color or something else, he takes care of it himself: curls its mane, licks its fur. With this kind of care, the horse shines, its eyes are quick and good. The farmer strokes and caresses his favorite livestock. There is no need to feed such cattle; they are well-fed even without feeding. But if the servant doesn’t like the animal, then sell it quickly. Otherwise he will chase around the yard, torment the horse, torment him so much that tears will flow from her eyes, or he will start tickling the cattle. At this point she will go completely mad, foam will come out of her mouth, the beast will wither and die. You must treat the servant with respect: bring him bread and salt - he loves respect. And in the evening, at sunset, you need to bow to the yard man, like this, like this: Yard owner, love your children, let the horse come to you, and you will have bread and salt. And three more bows must be made...
The servant saw the gypsy climb into the barn and begin to grab the sheep. Angry:
- You, gypsy, don’t take the cattle, I won’t give it to you to hurt you. The gypsy began to fight with the servant. And at this time the horse on the road began to snort, began to dig the ground with its hooves, and sensed trouble: after all, the barn was next to the house.
Whether for a long time or for a short time, the gypsy jumped out of the barn empty-handed, the yard servant did not allow him to take anything.
- Why are you empty? - his brother asks.
“What are you talking about, my brother,” he answers, “I can’t take it, but I can, the yardman is in the way.” I tried to fight him, but can you really cope with him? I’m at him, and he throws me up into the hayloft. I go down from the hayloft and again to the cattle, and he is right there again. He picked me up and threw me onto the ram's horns. I want to grab the sheep, but he rips it out of my hands and throws it back behind the fence. He tortured me, tormented me, and I had to leave with nothing.
“Listen, brother, my wife told me that a pig was slaughtered in this house.” It seems they are preparing for a wake. Wouldn't a yard guard guard dead cattle?!
“You’re right, brother, we need to take this pig.”
The brothers looked at their horse: it seemed to have calmed down. They went to the barn. And it’s so dark outside that you could prick your eyes out. The brothers found a heavy sack in the dark, hoisted it onto their shoulders and ran back. They threw the sack onto the cart and galloped off.
“Ugh,” said one brother to the other, “what a pig, a whole hog, they barely brought it.”
“And I got tired while I was fighting with the servant and dragging the carcass with you.” Shouldn't we eat? Let's make a fire, fry some pork...
“What are you saying, my brother, it’s not time, we need to move away from the village.” It’s better if we bring the hog home and eat properly there.
It was already dawn when the brothers returned home. The gypsies poured out to meet them.
- Well, how? What did you bring?
- Yes, there is a hog on a cart, drag him here to the house. Two gypsies, the stronger ones, went to the cart. We unwrapped the bag and felt a chill.
– What did you bring?! - they shout.
The brothers rushed to the cart and were stunned. There's a dead man in the bag! What to do? We need to hide it before the village wakes up. They carried the dead man into the house. They put him on a bench, and they themselves sit, think and look back at the dead man with fear. And suddenly they see: this dead man is moving his hand, then his leg. And then one eye opened, the other, and began to look around. It’s a well-known fact that the gypsies are not a timid people, and even then they felt uneasy.
- Why, my dear, have you come to life or something? - they ask the dead man.
And the dead man, as if nothing had happened, gets up, sits down and says:
-Where am I?
- In the next world! - the gypsies answer him, and they themselves laugh.
- How did I get there? - asks the dead man.
- It’s a well-known thing, he died and got caught!
The gypsies realized that the man did not die, but fell asleep, and that the villagers took him for dead and put him in the barn. And as the gypsies realized this, they decided to benefit for themselves.
“You, man, have gone to hell,” the gypsies say to the dead man, “and we are the devils.” Now we’ll light the cauldron and fry you.
“Don’t fry me, dear ones, I’ll pay you.”
– Do you want to go back to earth?
- Oh, I want it, dear ones, I won’t regret anything for this.
“Then we’ll agree this way: we’ll take you home, and don’t forget about us.” If in the village they ask how you appeared, you will say: they revived me!
The gypsies wrapped the man in the same sack and took him back to the village, and there was great grief. Why, the dead man has disappeared! There is crying and screaming in the house. And then the door opens and the gypsies bring in the dead man. They show villagers with fists:
- Oh, you thieves, damned bandits! Even the dead have no peace from you.
- Wait for the shouting, guys, look what we brought you.
The gypsies open the sack. And there is a dead man, alive and unharmed. What started here! You won’t understand whether to seat the deceased at the table or bury the living. Almost everyone who was in the hut fainted. And when they came to their senses, they began to praise and thank the gypsies, and the owner, who came to life, to rejoice, gave them a cow and a calf and sheep in addition.
- Thank you for bringing me back to earth from the other world!
That's what miracles happen!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru