Egóri the Brave and the Gipsy
by Alexander Afanasyev · from Russian Fairy Tales
Original Story
Egóri the Brave and the Gipsy
In a certain kingdom, in a certain land, there was a gipsy who had a
wife and seven children, and he lived so poorly that at last there was
nothing in the house to eat or to drink—not even a crust of bread. He
was too idle to work, and too much of a coward to thieve. So what could
he do?
Well, the peasant went on the road and stood pondering. At this time
Egóri the Brave was passing by.
“Hail!” said the peasant. “Whither are you faring?”
“To God.”
“Why?”
“With a message from men wherewith each man should live, and wherewith
each man should busy himself.”
“Will you, then, send in a report about me to the Lord?” the peasant
said, “what He wishes me to engage in?”
“Very well—I will hand in a report,” Egóri said, and he went on his
road.
So there the peasant stood, waiting for him—waiting. And when at last he
saw Egóri on his way back, he asked him at once: “Did you hand in a
report about me?”
“No,” said Egóri; “I forgot.”
So the peasant set out on his road a second time, and he again met
Egóri, who was going to God on an errand. So the gipsy asked him once
more: “Do please hand in a request on my behalf.”
“All right,” said Egóri. And he forgot again.
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!”
“What stirrup?”
“Didn’t you take one from me?”
“How in the world could I take one from you? This is the first time I
have seen you, and I have not even had a stirrup. Before God!—I never
have!” And so the gipsy perjured himself.
What could he do? He could struggle and fight it out, Egóri could, and
so he did; but it was all no good. It is perfectly true, and the gipsy
spoke the truth: “If I had not given him the stirrup!—if I had not only
known him! Now I shall forget him no more.”
So the gipsy took the golden stirrup and began hawking it. And as he
went on his way, a fine lord came and met him. “Hullo, gipsy!” he said.
“Will you sell the stirrup?”
“Yes—all right!”
“What will you take?”
“Fifteen hundred roubles.”
“Much too dear, isn’t that?”
“Well, you see, it is all gold.”
“Very well!” said his lordship; and he put his hand into his pocket, and
he only had a thousand. “You just take this thousand, gipsy, and then
give me the stirrup: I will send you on the odd five hundred.”
“Oh, no, my lord! One thousand roubles I will certainly take, but I
shall not give up the stirrup. When you carry out your part of the
bargain, then you shall receive the stirrup.” So the lord gave him the
thousand, and he went home.
The very instant he got there he took out five hundred roubles, and sent
his man up to the gipsy, telling him to give the money to him and to
take the golden stirrup.
When his lordship’s groom came to the gipsy’s izbá,[5] “Hail, gipsy!”
he said. “How fare you, good man? I have brought you the money from his
lordship.”
“Well, give it me if you have brought it.” So the gipsy took the five
hundred roubles, and gave the man a glass of wine, and then another,
until the man had his fill.
And when he had had his fill the groom began to make his way home, and
said to the peasant: “Now give me the golden stirrup.”
“What?”
“Yes—the stirrup which you sold my master.”
“What, I sold it! I never had a golden stirrup!”
“Well, then, give me the money back.”
“What money?”
“But I just gave you five hundred roubles!”
“I have not even seen a grívennik[6]—never in my life! I looked after
you kindly, simply for the sake of our Lord, and not in the least in
order to get any money out of you.” And in this manner the gipsy had
disavowed everything.
When the master had heard of this, he instantly started out to see the
gipsy. “What on earth do you mean, you vile thief, by taking money and
not giving up the golden stirrup?”
“What golden stirrup? Now do, my lord, think a little. How is it
possible for a grey, hoary old peasant like me to possess a golden
stirrup?”
Then the master became angrier and angrier, but he could not find it.
“Well, we will come to court!” he said.
“Oh, please,” the gipsy answered, “please think! How in the world can I
come in your company? You are a lord, and I am only a blockhead—I am
only a dolt and a mere hind. At least you might dress me in a fine
costume if we are to go together.” So the master dressed him in his own
dress, and they journeyed together to the town for the case to be tried.
When they came into the town, the master said: “I bought of this peasant
a golden stirrup. He took the money for it and will not deliver the
chattel.”
And the peasant answered: “My Lords Justices, do you think it out for
yourselves, however could one get a golden stirrup out of a grey-haired
peasant? Why, I have not a single loaf at home. And I really cannot
imagine what this fine gentleman wants of me. Why, he will even be
saying next that I am wearing his clothes.”
“But the dress is mine!” the master shrieked out.
“There you are, my Lords Justices!”
After this the case came to an end, and the master went back home
without getting anything, and the peasant went on living merrily—living
on and gaining nothing but good.
Story DNA
Moral
Cunning and deceit can sometimes prevail, especially against the naive or powerful.
Plot Summary
A poor gipsy, seeking a livelihood, tricks Egóri the Brave into giving him a golden stirrup, which Egóri had forgotten to ask God about. After God reveals the gipsy's 'trade' is deceit, the gipsy denies ever taking the stirrup, keeping it. He then sells the stirrup to a lord, but after receiving full payment, denies the transaction and the money. In a court case, the gipsy cleverly uses the lord's own clothes to make the lord appear delusional, winning the case and living merrily from his ill-gotten gains.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to triumph (for the gipsy), frustration to defeat (for Egóri and the lord)
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Afanas'ev collected Russian folk tales in the 19th century. The portrayal of the 'gipsy' reflects common stereotypes of the time, often depicting them as clever but untrustworthy outsiders.
Plot Beats (14)
- A poor gipsy, too idle to work and too cowardly to thieve, seeks divine guidance on how to live.
- He encounters Egóri the Brave, who is going to God, and asks him to relay his query.
- Egóri forgets the gipsy's request twice.
- On the third encounter, the gipsy, distrusting Egóri, takes Egóri's golden stirrup as a guarantee.
- Egóri reaches God, and the stirrup reminds him of the gipsy's forgotten request.
- God declares the gipsy's 'trade' is to cheat and perjure himself by taking and stealing.
- Egóri returns, and the gipsy denies ever taking the stirrup, successfully keeping it.
- The gipsy sells the golden stirrup to a lord for 1500 roubles, taking 1000 upfront and promising delivery upon full payment.
- The lord sends his groom with the remaining 500 roubles to retrieve the stirrup.
- The gipsy takes the money, gets the groom drunk, and then denies ever having the stirrup or receiving the money.
- The enraged lord confronts the gipsy, who feigns ignorance and poverty, suggesting they go to court.
- The gipsy persuades the lord to dress him in fine clothes for court, claiming he cannot appear with a lord otherwise.
- In court, the gipsy denies owning a golden stirrup or taking money, then points to the lord's clothes he is wearing as 'proof' of the lord's delusion.
- The court dismisses the lord's case, and the gipsy lives merrily, having gained from his deceit.
Characters
Egóri the Brave ★ protagonist
Implied to be a noble or knightly figure, as he rides a horse and possesses a golden stirrup.
Attire: Riding attire, including a horse with a golden stirrup (initially two, then one).
Forgetful, dutiful (initially), honest (eventually), persistent (in trying to retrieve his stirrup).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult male with a determined, courageous expression, short wavy brown hair, and a strong jawline. He stands tall in a confident heroic pose, wearing a forest green tunic over a chainmail shirt, brown leather bracers, dark trousers, and sturdy boots. A longsword rests at his hip, and he holds a round wooden shield with a simple metal boss. His posture is upright and ready for adventure. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Gipsy ⚔ antagonist
Poor, grey, hoary old peasant.
Attire: Initially poor peasant clothing; later, the fine clothes of the Lord.
Idle, cowardly (initially), cunning, deceitful, perjurious, manipulative.
Image Prompt & Upload
A gaunt man in his late forties with sharp cheekbones and a sallow complexion. He has deep-set, piercing dark eyes under thick black eyebrows and a thin, cruel smile. His long, greasy black hair is slicked back from a high forehead. He wears a faded, threadbare black velvet coat with tarnished silver embroidery over a dirty white shirt, and dark, patched trousers. A wide leather belt cinches his waist, holding a sheathed dagger. His posture is predatory, leaning slightly forward with one hand resting on the dagger's hilt, the other holding a worn leather pouch. He exudes an aura of menace and cunning. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Lord ◆ supporting
Implied to be wealthy and of high status.
Attire: Fine clothing befitting a lord, which he later lends to the Gipsy.
Trusting (initially), easily angered, persistent (in seeking justice), gullible.
Image Prompt & Upload
A mature man in his late 40s with a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and kind, thoughtful eyes. He wears an elegant, deep burgundy velvet doublet with subtle gold embroidery at the collar and cuffs, paired with dark trousers and polished leather boots. His posture is relaxed yet dignified, one hand resting thoughtfully on his chin as he gazes slightly off-camera. His hair is swept back from a high forehead. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
God ○ minor
Not described, as he is a divine entity.
Attire: Not applicable.
Omniscient, just, provides clear guidance.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly man with a long, flowing white beard and kind, wise eyes. He wears simple, ethereal white robes that seem to glow faintly. His posture is serene and benevolent, one hand gently raised in a calming gesture. A soft, divine light emanates from him. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Road
A path or thoroughfare where the gipsy encounters Egóri multiple times.
Mood: Anticipatory, as the gipsy waits for Egóri's return.
The gipsy repeatedly asks Egóri to intercede with God on his behalf, and later receives the divine message.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding dirt path cuts through an ancient, twilight forest. The road is worn and pale, lined with faintly glowing blue mushrooms and smooth, moss-covered stones. Towering, gnarled trees with silver bark arch overhead, their leaves a deep emerald, filtering the last light of a violet and peach sunset. A soft, ethereal mist clings to the forest floor, swirling gently around the bases of the trees. In the distance, the path curves and disappears into deeper, darker woods, suggesting a journey ahead. The atmosphere is quiet, magical, and slightly melancholic, with a sense of timeless waiting. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
God's Presence (Heaven)
The place where Egóri speaks with God.
Mood: Divine, authoritative, a place of ultimate truth.
Egóri receives instructions on how men should live and the specific trade for the gipsy.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, luminous expanse of eternal dawn, where soft golden light filters through iridescent, pearlescent clouds. Floating islands of polished white marble, connected by graceful, glowing bridges, hover over a tranquil, mirror-like sea of liquid light. In the center, a majestic, open-air pavilion of crystalline structure and flowing silver arches radiates a gentle, divine glow. The air is filled with drifting, softly glowing orbs and delicate, luminous flora. The atmosphere is serene, awe-inspiring, and impossibly peaceful, with a palette of gold, pearl white, soft rose, and celestial blue. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Gipsy's Izba
The gipsy's humble dwelling, where he receives the lord's groom.
Mood: Deceptive, as the gipsy tricks the groom.
The gipsy takes the remaining payment for the stirrup but denies having it, getting the groom drunk.
Image Prompt & Upload
At twilight, a humble izba sits at the edge of a birch forest, its rough-hewn log walls dark against the deepening blue sky. A thatched roof sags gently, with a clay chimney releasing a thin curl of smoke into the cool, misty air. Warm, golden light spills from a single small, shuttered window, casting a soft glow on the overgrown path of wildflowers and tall grass leading to the simple wooden door. The surrounding forest is a mix of slender white birches and shadowy pines, their leaves rustling in a gentle breeze. The ground is damp with evening dew, reflecting the last hints of sunset orange on the horizon. The atmosphere is quiet, rustic, and slightly mysterious, with fireflies beginning to blink in the gathering dusk. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
The Town Court
A formal setting where the lord attempts to reclaim his money or the stirrup from the gipsy.
Mood: Tense, legal, but ultimately farcical due to the gipsy's cunning.
The gipsy uses the lord's own clothes against him to win the court case.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late afternoon in the formal town square, the low sun casting long, dramatic shadows from the surrounding half-timbered guildhalls and stone courthouse. A central stone fountain is dry, its basin filled with fallen autumn leaves in russet and gold. The cobblestones are worn smooth, slick from a recent drizzle, reflecting the bruised purple and orange sky. Empty wooden benches line the square beneath bare-branched elms, their branches like dark lace against the fading light. The air feels heavy and still, charged with unspoken tension, illuminated by the first flickering gas lamps that cast pools of warm, lonely light on the damp ground. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
