ENG0_149_Zmej_i_Tsygan.txt

In the old days there were fierce serpents that would devour whole villages of people. 
A gypsy heard that a serpent had eaten up an entire settlement.
The gypsy thought of the property. 
"All the property is still there," he said. 
He thought maybe he could get his hands on it.
He walked through the whole settlement. Just one old man was living in it. 
He entered the old man's little cell.
The old man said, "Why have you come here? I'm just surviving here for the serpent to kill me."
The gypsy said, "he's lying, the son-of-a-bitch, is that wicked serpent. He shall be crushed!"
Just then the serpent flew up like a burst from a fire and teh doors opened.
"So", he said, "they said that there was only one meal in this village, but now there are two!"
The gypsy just sat there. 
"You're lying, wicked serpent. You will be crushed!"
"And whoa re you?" he said, "a gypsy?" 
Couldn't we perhaps become close brothers?
The gypsy replied, "Perhaps, why not be your close brother?"
The serpent said, "And how shall we become brothers, by whistling or just how?"
"Of course, by whistling."
They rode out into the open steppe.
The gypsy said, "go ahead and whistle."
The serpent whistled so loudly that all the acords fell off the oaks. 
"Now you go, gypsy."
The gypsy said, "Bind up your eyes, otherwise they'll pop out when I start whistling."
The gypsy had a club with him. He clubbed that serpent in teh neck with his club.
"No, your whistle is stronger," he said. "It's good you told me to bind up my eyes 
  or they would have popped out!"
Let's go, gypsy; 
Egi-boba keeps forty oxen.
Let's go and butcher one.
I feel like eating."
The gypsy went away over there and wove the tails of all forty oxen together. 
"What is this?" 
said the serpent,
"Why is the gypsy taking so long?"
The serpent couldn't wait any longer. 
He ran over and said, "Why are you taking so long, gypsy?"
"I've tied the tails of all forty oxen together 
  and now I'll throw the first tail over my shoulder and bring them all at once.
The serpent was terrified.
"Oh," he said, "it's clear that this is a cunning gypsy. 
He can carry off forty oxen at once."
The serpent grabbed an ox by the tail and ripped the skin off it.
"Go and bring some water, gypsy. 
Here, take this skin and fill it and bring it back.
The gypsy went to the well and dug out a channel. 
The serpent waited and waited. 
"Why is he taking so long?" he said.
He ran over.
"What are you doing, gypsy?"
"I'm digging around this well and I'll bring teh whole thing on my shoulder.
Why should I have to bring water to you for every meal?"
The serpent turned cowardly.
He poured teh water into the skin and carried it off and then he started cooking dinner.
He boiled the ox.
"Let's sit down, gypsy!"
The gypsy squinted aslant, not really looking at him.
"Well, gypsy, why don't you sit down?"
"Why should I sit down? 
What does this mean? 
Just one ox for the two of us? We need three or four. 
Come and be my guest!"
"Alright, gypsy."
"Would we have to go on foot?"
Then the serpent whistled and a pair of horses and a cart with its tongue stood before them.
"Let's go, gypsy; 
 sit down."
 "I'm not accustomed to riding in a cart. 
 I always go in a carriage."
 They rode through a gypsy encampment and all the little gypsies were hopping about one leg.
 As they hopped, they shouted, 
 "Here comes papa and he's bringing a serpent!"
 "What people are those?"
 "Those are my children."
 "And what are they saying?"
 "I told them once that I was riding out and 
  I would take them to the serpent as sacrifies. 
  But now they are overjoyed. 
  They think I've brought you to be their victim."
  The serpent was horrified. 
  He squeezed himself into a ball in the cart and gave a somersault,
  And then he spread his wings and flew off.
  The gypsy ended up with a pair of horses.
  He had fooled the serpent.