There was a gypsy camp in the forest.
A gypsy woman lived in this camp. She had one and only son, a gypsy boy about twelve years old. Many years ago this gypsy woman lost her husband: he once went on some gypsy business and never returned. The wife decided that her husband had died. However, many gypsies did not agree with her; there was a rumor in the camp that the gypsy had sold his soul to the devil.
One day a merchant comes to this camp. He began to walk around the installations and talk to the gypsies.
It was the turn of this gypsy. When the merchant saw the gypsy boy, his eyes lit up. But I must say that this gypsy boy was nimble, strong and intelligent. Here the merchant addresses his mother:
- Give me your son.
All the same, you live in poverty, but with me your son will not know grief. I don’t have children, so after my death everything will go to him. Besides, your son is not a stranger to me, I knew his father, we were in great friendship, after all, it was I who baptized your boy, so I am your godfather...
The merchant tried to persuade the gypsy, but he did not persuade her. The merchant got angry, his eyes flashed, and the gypsy sensed evil. And indeed, the next day trouble happened: her son went into the forest and did not return back.
And this is what happened. When the little gypsy came out of the forest into a clearing, the merchant was already waiting for him.
- Well, boy, do you want to ride a horse? What gypsy kid would refuse this? Then the merchant whistled, and then two black horses jumped out into the clearing. The gypsy boy looks at the horses and cannot take his eyes off them, they are so beautiful.
- Sit down, little gypsy, on one horse, and I’ll sit on the other, so we’ll go.
They mounted their horses and rode off.
The gypsy boy looks: his horse does not run on the ground, but flies through the air. He realized then that he had contacted evil spirits, that this merchant was a sorcerer.
How much or how little time has passed - God knows. They just reached a high mountain. We landed at the very top. So the sorcerer orders the gypsy child:
- Go look around for wood, we’ll light a fire.
The gypsy girl gathered some brushwood, and they lit a fire. The sorcerer took out the egg and threw it into the fire. As soon as he did this, the earth opened up and a narrow well formed in it.
- Listen, boy, what am I going to tell you? I am a well-known sorcerer throughout the area. You already guessed it.
Here, in this mountain, all my treasures are hidden. I would get them myself, but I just couldn’t get into this well. Here's a magic ring for you. Put it on your hand, but don't lose it, otherwise you'll be finished. As soon as you go down into the dungeon, poisonous snakes will immediately attack you. Don't be afraid, wave the ring and these snakes will turn to stone. You go underground, you see a door, and a lion sits in front of the door. If you wave the ring, the lion will turn to stone. Then there will be a second door, you will enter it and see your mother. If she asks you to hug her, don’t believe her. It is not your mother, but an evil spirit. If you trust her, she will tear you to pieces. Wave the ring at her and she will turn to stone. Then there will be a third door, and behind it all my wealth... Tie the chest to the rope, I will pull it out, and then you too! You and I will be rich people, gypsies, just don’t forget, do everything as I told you.
The little gypsy wrapped himself in rope and climbed into the dungeon. I climbed for a long time, walked the entire mountain from top to bottom. As soon as he descended to the bottom of the dungeon, poisonous snakes attacked him. The gypsy boy waved his ring - the snakes turned to stone. And then it happened as the sorcerer said: there were three rooms - in one the lion was sitting, in the other the gypsy child saw his mother, and in the third there was a chest with treasure. The gypsy kid dragged the chest to the rope, but while he was dragging it, he got so tired that he sat down on the lid of the chest to catch his breath.
“Eh, no, sorcerer,” the gypsy child thinks, “I know you. You will pull out the chest, and leave me here so as not to share the treasure with me. Nothing will work out for you."
And the sorcerer from above shouts to him:
- Hey, guy, hurry up and tie the chest.
“First, pull me out,” the gypsy child answers him, “and I’ll tie the chest to myself.”
- No, first I’ll pull out the chest, and then you! They bickered and argued, but the gypsy child did not begin to tie the treasure to the rope. Then the sorcerer got angry and threw the rope into the dungeon.
- So let your bones rot in this dungeon! – the sorcerer shouted and disappeared.
A gypsy child sits on the lid of a chest and thinks bitterly: “Why did I get involved with this sorcerer?
And who asked me to ride these horses? Damn you, sorcerer, and your witch’s ring!” The gypsy took the ring from his hand and threw it to the ground in anger. The earth trembled here, and a huge Serpent appeared.
The Snake looked at the gypsy child and asked:
- Son, where did you come from here? What do you need? The scary-looking gypsy snake got scared and backed away, and the snake said to him again:
- Don't be afraid of me, son, I am your father. Many years ago this same sorcerer deceived me, he bewitched me with evil spells and forced me to guard his treasure. If you weren't wearing this ring, you would have been dead a long time ago. If you hit this ring on the ground, I will always appear and fulfill any wish. Ask me, son, whatever you want.
- Take me home, to the camp, to my mother, father, and grab the treasure.
“Okay, son, everything will be as you want, just don’t forget to take the ring with you: you’ll see it will come in handy.”
The gypsy child found himself in his camp, and there the mother was sitting by the fire in front of the tent and shedding tears for her son.
She has grown old and gray. After all, it was the gypsy who thought that he had only been away from home for three days, but in fact years had passed.
The mother was happy:
“Oh, son, I never thought I’d see you alive.” Where have you been, tell me!
The gypsy child told his mother everything that happened, and did not hide anything. Since then they have lived richly and happily.
However, the evil sorcerer found out that the gypsy child had come out of the dungeon, and decided to take possession of his treasures.
Then one day he appears again in the camp to the gypsy child and says to him:
“Give me my ring, boy, give it back quickly, or I’ll take it by force!”
The gypsy child threw the ring to the ground, and the Serpent, his father, appeared.
- Look, father! - shouted the gypsy boy. - Here he is, the sorcerer who turned you into a Snake and ruined your whole life.
The Serpent rushed at the sorcerer and strangled him in an instant. As soon as the sorcerer was gone, the witchcraft spells fell from the Serpent, and his father appeared before the gypsy child.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru