There lived an old gypsy with his wife, and they had a son. In short, one day the gypsy set up a tent and said to his wife:
- I’ll go to the city to the fair to change horses!
The gypsy took the whip and set off. He travels through the fields, through the forest. He drove out to the edge of the forest and suddenly saw: six boys and six girls were running out to meet him - small in size, each wearing blue pants and red shirts, belted with embroidered sashes.
“Stop,” the children shout, “where are you going?” The gypsy answers them:
- Change food!
- Well, let's go! There will be good luck!
The gypsy was surprised at such a conversation, but did not show it, and he himself started the horses and went to the city.
And in the city that day there was such a fair as gypsies had never seen in my life. The gypsy had incredible luck that day, and he returned home with a lot of money. He drives up to the place where he met the small children, and they are already waiting for him:
- Well, tell me, did you change it well?
- Okay, okay! Thank you! What can I give you, tell me? I won’t regret anything for you!
- We don’t need anything, uncle! Expect us to visit you today. Just make sure no one sees us!
Night had barely fallen, and the children were already in the old gypsy’s tent. They ask him:
“You prepare where we can hide from human eyes.”
“You come in,” says the gypsy, “I have already prepared everything for you.”
And in the gypsy’s tent, in his wagon, there was a large chest. There the gypsies arranged a place for the disputers to spend the night, laid out a feather bed, prepared pillows - everything as it should be. And they tell him:
- You, uncle, give us a mirror, a comb, lipstick, blush and paint...
The gypsy did everything as the disputants asked him to do. Since then, unprecedented happiness has befallen him: no matter what the gypsy undertakes, everything works out for him, success awaits him in any matter. But every morning, when the whole gypsy family got up after sleep, his disputants warned him:
“You’re a good man, uncle, we liked you.” Just make sure that no one knows that we live with you, not a single living soul...
How much or how much time passed, only one morning, when the whole camp was still asleep, one gypsy woman approached the old gypsy’s tent. She needed a burning firebrand to start a fire. And at night the debaters do nothing but dance and have fun. So they fumble around in their chest until the third rooster. The gypsy heard a fuss in the old gypsy’s tent and let’s swear:
- What is it? It’s still light, everyone is still sleeping, but they are dancing, not letting others sleep. Damn you!
As soon as the gypsy uttered her curses, the debaters immediately disappeared. Before sunrise, an old gypsy got up, walked up to the wagon, listened - he could not hear the usual noise.
-Are you here? - asks.
No answer. He opened the chest, looked, and there was no one there.
- What's happened? – the gypsy was surprised. - They left and didn’t warn anyone...
So the day passed, and after midnight an old gypsy came out onto the road and began calling out to the disputants. But in vain he shouted throughout the forest - no one came to him.
Several days passed. One day an old gypsy went to town on his business. And again, at the same place, the debaters ran out to meet him.
- Uncle! - they shout. “We would live with you, but there’s only one bad woman in your camp.” She cursed us and cursed us with an unkind word. We can’t live with you now, uncle.
The gypsy answers them:
“I had a good time with you, children, but since this happened, then go with God.”
And the debaters left, saying goodbye that they would still help the old gypsy in his affairs.
– If you go to the city, you will always find us here. But it’s not our destiny to live with you, you know.
Since then, it has been like this: when a gypsy goes to the city, he will definitely meet disputants in his cherished place.
A week passes, a second passes, a third passes. One day the debaters say to the old gypsy:
- Look, uncle, the same gypsy who cursed us wants to do something bad to you too. You will buy a horse today, and by the will of that gypsy she will take your son to God knows where.
- What should I do? - the old gypsy was frightened. - Teach.
“You won’t be able to do anything yourself, because the witch is a gypsy.” Only we can help you. Don’t worry, don’t cry for your son, we won’t leave him in trouble. Tell him that when we bring him back, let him gather all his strength, show all his dexterity, but ride that horse. Once he rides it around the camp three times, that horse will become more obedient than a small child...
And so it happened, as the disputants said. The old gypsy brought home the horse he bought at the fair. The gypsy’s son decided to ride that horse, jumped into the saddle, and then the gypsy woman who had cursed the debaters jumped up to him, hit the horse with a rod, it went berserk and ran off into the forest. They only saw her.
So six weeks passed day after day. The old gypsy cannot find a place for himself. Although he believed the disputants, his soul was still uneasy. Towards the end of the sixth week, the old gypsy heard the neighing of a horse and the clatter of hooves at dawn and ran out of the tent. He looks: running out of the forest is no longer the same horse that he bought for his son, but a handsome horse, his son is sitting on that horse and with difficulty holding the reins, and the debaters are running behind, urging that horse on. The old gypsy remembered the order of the debaters and shouted:
“My son, I see that you have little strength left.” Gather your strength, show your gypsy agility, and gallop around the camp three times!
The old gypsy's son gathered his last strength, pulled the reins tighter and sent the horse around the camp. As soon as he made the first circle, the horse slowed down its pace. The second circle passed - the horse walked at a walk. The third round was completed - the horse stood at the old gypsy’s tent. The old gypsy's son did not get off his horse, but fell into his arms, barely alive. Only on the third day did he come to his senses.
From then on, luck returned to the old gypsy. And the evil gypsy disappeared from the camp, and no one saw her again.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru