"A Gypsy once went on off horse stealing, leaving his family behind at the Gypsy camp. They waited one day, a second and third, but there was no sign or news.

Now what? In her alarm the wife roused the whole Gypsy band to go in search. They searched here and there without success, finally deciding that he was dead.

In his memory they held a funeral service, his wife poured out her tears and ...in the passing of time, cast him out of her mind. That's life, isn't it?

But this is the strange story of his disappearance.

In the depths of night he pushed on through the forest and emerged into a glade where he spied a steed of stunning beauty. It stood there, quietly grazing. It's mane was long it's tail reached to the ground, and white sparks flew from beneath it's hooves. In a single bound it cleared the glade.
How the Gypsy wanted to catch that steed. Yet every time he approached it darted aside and neighed so hard it made the ground shake. Finally, it galloped off, leaving the Gypsy standing and staring and not just a little ashamed.

"I'm no novice at catching horses," he groaned. "Yet that horse escaped me. Just wait, I'll tame it yet."

And he took up the chase. That day went by, another dawned and at last the hoof marks brought him to the entrance of a rocky cave. Without hesitation, he went inside and followed the tunnel down, down into the bowels of the earth. And he found himself in the underground realm of serpents.

The chief Serpent in that realm was a huge twelve-headed monster who made everyone under his power to obey him. As soon as he saw the gypsy he flew at him, hissing at him in an awesome voice. "How dare you enter my kingdom!"

The Gypsy tried not to display his fear. "When Gypsies see fine steeds," he said, 'they give chase wherever the trail leads. So it is. That I show I came to be here."

"There is no return for you, Gypsy," hissed the Serpent. "Now you must make your choice. To die or be my slave."

Well, who chooses death?

SO the Gypsy began to work for the Serpent and was made to groom the enchanted steeds. That suited him well.

One year passed, then a second, then a third. And the busy Gypsies earned the respect of the chief Serpent, so well did he tend the magic steeds. And one day the Serpent said. "What do you say to going home?"

For three years the Gypsy had dreamed of seeing the face of his wife and children. The Serpents words cheered him to no end.

"I'll let you go Gypsy, since you have served me well, but there is one condition. No one must learn of where you been. If you break that vow, you fate id sealed."

Striking the ground with its tale, the Serpent gave a whistle and all the other serpents formed a ball about the Gypsy. As the earth opened up, the ball of tangled snakes began to roll with the Gypsy caught up inside it. It rolled and rolled until it reached the daylight.

"Climb out, " ordered the twelve headed Serpent.

And the Gypsy climbed out into the light of day, stared about him blinking, and he did not even notice the ball of snakes disappearing into the ground.

"Mind you, keep your vow," hissed the Serpent King.

"On the lives of my wife and children I shall not tell." he swore.

And off he ran home. When he appeared, of course, the Gypsies thought he must be a ghost. Had he returned from the dead? But he convinced them he was alive and well, and naturally his wife and children were overjoyed.

"Where have you been, dear husband?" his wife asked once they were inside the tent. "How did you disappear for so long? Do tell us."

He was so happy to be back with his family that a mist seemed to cloud his mind, and he forgot his vow. His wife and children listened opened mouthed as he told the story of his adventures underground. Only at the end did he realize what he had done...

"Oh Devaley!" he cried, "God what have I done?"

With a strangled cry, he fell to the ground and began to twist and turn in torment. He twisted, squirmed, writhed...and turned into a venomous snake. Then setting upon his wife and children, he bit each one in turn, and his poison struck them down. They fell beside him on the ground, writhing in pain.

The next morning when the Gypsies glanced inside the tent they saw the wife and children laying cold and dead. And across their lifeless bodies crawled a hissing snake.