Page:RussianFolkTales Afanasev 368pgs.djvu/34

18 And so once more the peasant set out on the road, and once more met Egóri. And he asked him for the third time: "Do please speak on my behalf to God!"

"Yes—all right!"

"Will you forget again?"

"No, I shall not forget this time."

Only the gipsy did not believe him. "Give me," he said, "your golden stirrup. I will keep it until you come back; otherwise, you may once more forget."

Egóri untied his golden stirrup, gave it to the gipsy, and rode on farther with a single stirrup. Then he reached God, and he began to ask wherewith each man should live, and wherewith each man should busy himself. In each case he received the right order, and he was starting back. But as soon as ever he mounted, he glanced down at the stirrup and recollected the gipsy. So he ran back to see God and said: "Oh, I forgot. Whilst I was coming here I met a gipsy on the way, and he asked me what he should do." "Oh, tell the gipsy," the Lord said, "that his trade is from whomsoever he take and steal, he, then, shall cheat and perjure himself."

So Egóri went and mounted his horse, came up to the gipsy, and told him: "I shall now tell you the truth. If you had not taken the stirrup, I should have forgotten all about it."

"I thought as much," said the gipsy. "Now, for all eternity, you cannot forget me if you only look down at your stirrup, and I shall be always in your mind. Well, what did the Lord say to you?"

"Oh, He told me from whomsoever you take or steal you will cheat and perjure yourself; that will be your trade."

"Thank you very much," said the gipsy, and he bowed down to the ground, and went home.

"Where are you going?" said Egóri. "Give me my golden stirrup!"