Two brothers and a sister lived in a wealthy family in a water gypsy camp. A girl fell in love with a poor man from the same camp and, despite the prohibition of her brothers, married him. She began to live in his poor tent, barely making ends meet. And the brothers laugh at them: have you found your happiness, little sister?
One day the brothers are getting ready to go on a gypsy business: stealing horses.
And the poor gypsy comes up to them and says:
-Will you take me with you? The brothers did not want him to go with them, they still felt enmity towards him, but his sister persuaded him.
- Okay, let's go.
Long or short, the gypsies came across a herd of horses. It was at night, nothing was visible. Each of the gypsies took a pair of horses for themselves and drove them to the camp. As soon as it began to dawn, the brothers and the poor gypsy decided to have a day in the forest. They wandered into the thicket so that no one could find them, lit a fire, and put on some tea. The brothers looked at the horses they had stolen and realized that they had taken the deadest nags, and the poor man grabbed two such beauties that no fairy tale could describe them.
- Listen, brother, why does he, a poor man, need such horses? We got nags, and he got trotters! Horses like his could be traded for a dozen.
- Let's finish off the poor man, brother?
That's what they decided on. They killed the poor gypsy, took his horses and returned to their camp. Their sister meets them and asks:
-Where is my husband, brothers?
- Yes, he left behind us, little sister. We don't know where he is now. As soon as we took the horses, the men discovered us and rushed in pursuit. We rushed in different directions: my brother and I ran in one direction, and your husband ran in the other. We still don’t know whether he is alive or not, whether he was able to capture the horses, or whether they were taken from him.
The gypsy woman waits for her husband for a day, two, three. Her brothers have already changed horses and are feasting.
And their sister has three children, small or small, and they are starving. Her tent is leaky, and the cart is lopsided, and there are no horses. And then it was time for the camp to get moving. Brothers approach their sister and say:
- The next morning the camp leaves. Pack your things and come with us.
“No,” the sister answers them, “I’m not going anywhere with you.” I will wait for my husband. I will wait as long as necessary.
- Well, look, it’s your choice! - said the brothers.
As soon as it was dawn, the camp started moving and drove away. The wife waited a long time for her husband.
He waits for a week, then another. Not a word, not a breath. Then the gypsy woman went to the villages to ask about her husband. She put her belongings on the cart, put the children in the shafts and harnessed herself.
“Tell me, good people, has such and such a gypsy ever been here?” - she asked the villagers, - Maybe you got a rumor that someone stole something?
- No, we didn’t hear anything. Who are you looking for, honey? - the village women asked her.
- I'm looking for my husband. Just as he disappeared, he is no more.
So she walked from village to village, pulling a cart with children and belongings.
He stops, collects alms, feeds the children, and then moves on.
One day she comes to the place where her husband’s brothers killed her. He puts up his torn tent and plans to spend the night. The gypsy woman put the children to bed, and she sat by the fire, thinking. Suddenly he hears a familiar voice:
- Hello, my dear wife!
The gypsy jumped up and was stunned. Her husband is standing in front of her. She threw herself on his neck and couldn’t be happier:
- And where have you been for so long, my dear? And I keep looking for you and looking for you.
Until dawn they sat by the fire, looking at each other, and as soon as the tops of the trees turned white, the husband stood up and said:
– You know, my beloved wife, I’ll tell you a terrible secret. Only at night can I see you. I can’t be with you during the day! And don't look for me in vain!
- What's happened? – the gypsy screamed in fright.
- Just don’t scare the children. I'm dead! Your brothers killed me in this place because of the horses. They coveted the fact that I took the best horses, and out of greed they killed me. They killed him and left him unfinished and unburied. Do what I tell you: I will go to you at night for a week, you wait for me, and then drink me as you should, so that my soul does not languish.
And bury my body...
Before he could finish his last words, the roosters crowed and the gypsy disappeared.
The gypsy was grieving, but there was nothing to do. She did everything as her husband told her, and then returned to her native camp. She just returned, and her brothers came towards her:
- Well, sister, have you found your husband?
-Where can you find him? - answered the gypsy.
- Of course, you know, he captured the richest horses and ran away from us, leaving them in trouble for the peasants to kill.
“Curse you, my brothers, for your words and for what you have done!” - the gypsy shouted. - After all, it was you who killed my husband because of greed and envy.
It was you who deprived my children of a piece of bread. Damn you!..
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru