A gypsy woman walks through the market, her skirt unzipped, and a plume of smoke follows her. She stops by a woman selling potatoes:
– “Let me, daughter, the Gypsy grandmother will tell you the truth. I’ll tell you the truth, I won’t lie. You’ll walk happily and happily for a long time, you’ll never be in trouble, you’ll never know sorrow!
– Stop talking nonsense. I can tell you anything, I know everything about everyone. You see the lady over there in the red scarf? Her daughter’s studying to be a teacher, her son an agronomist. Her cow is black, and she brought a white calf. Three piglets will soon be slaughtered, the turkey sat on eggs the day before yesterday. Only their dog is rabid: chasing the chickens like crazy. Have you had enough? Go away… the clairvoyant…
The gypsy turned around and wandered towards the other woman.
– Let me read your fortune.
– I know everything, dear. All written on your face. Your eyes tell about you. You’re very kind. Your husband loves you. He worships you. You have lived in peace and prosperity for more than twenty years.
The woman opened her mouth in surprise, held her breath: the gypsy told the whole truth. And she continued to scratch her tongue:
– Your cow is black and she brought a white calf. Take good care of the turkey, so that it does not break the eggs, on which you put it three days ago. Keep the pigs till the holidays, and then forget them, or else the sickness will come on them.
– Oh, my goodness, that’s all I need. When I come home, I’ll have my husband stabbed, and I won’t even wait for the holidays.
– The pigs will do you good. May prosperity always be in your house. But one way or another you’ll have a loss.
– What kind of loss? – The worried woman exclaimed.
– There is a bad dog in your yard. Chokes all your chickens and the neighbor.
– It is a small misfortune. I’ll come and ask my husband for a ride. Why don’t you say anything about my children?
– What can I tell you about the children? They’re beautiful. Your daughter is like a bright star in the sky, and your son is like a red sun. You’re lucky to have brought up such children.
The woman is in heaven at the words of the eloquent gypsy.
– Your daughter will be a famous teacher, and your son – the chief agronomist.
– And you know it! If I hadn’t heard with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed the gypsy was telling the truth. Here, have some potatoes.
The woman poured half a bucket of potatoes to the gypsy with all her heart.
– You’ll live a hundred years. God will give you and your children and grandchildren and your husband grace in this world and the next. You’ll remember me many times.
– Here, take some more money for good words.
– Thank you, my dove. You have a kind, pure soul. Give me some more beets and carrots, and a couple of onions, if you don’t mind.
– For such a wise gypsy woman, it’s a sin to spare. You are welcome to it!
She thanked the gypsy politely and left the woman, twisting and turning, happy and contented. She carried a whole basket of vegetables, and money in addition.
The woman brags loudly about what plausible fate the gypsy had predicted for her. She walks up to the woman who drove the gypsy away.
– Oh, my friend, a gypsy approached me. She told me the truth about her husband, children, pigs, and turkey. I gave her half a bucket of potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, and a ruble in addition.
The woman laughed:
– Pay me for telling her the truth about you. You see, I didn’t lie about anything…
