HOUSE DEMON

IN THE SPRING, A GREAT MISFORTUNE HAPPENED TO A FARMER
AND HIS FAMILY: ALL OF HIS BUILDINGS AND STORAGE HOUSES
WHERE ALL OF HIS WEALTH WAS STORED BURNED DOWN. THE MAN
WAS LEFT WITH HIS WHOLE FAMILY JUST AS THEY WERE STANDING.
THEY LOST THEIR HOUSE, DIDN'T HAVE ANY CLOTHES, NOR ANYTHING
TO EAT. A PLACE TO STAY AT WAS PROVIDED BY SOME NEIGHBORS,
SOME CLOTHES ALSO WERE FOUND BY THE NEIGHBORS; ONE GAVE A
TORN FUR COAT, ANOTHER A WORN JACKET, A THIRD A MENDED
DRESS. BUT TO FEED THEM, THEY COULD ONLY DO THAT FOR A
SHORT TIME BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES HAD VERY LITTLE.
THE POOR MAN HITCHED UP A BORROWED HORSE TO A BORROWED
WAGON WITH A BORROWED HARNESS AND SET OUT TO THE FARMS
TO COLLECT FOOD. EVERYONE GAVE AS MUCH AS THEY COULD,
BUT HOWEVER, IT WAS SPRING AND THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES
HAD LITTLE, SO THAT'S WHY NOT EVERYONE GAVE. AND THE ONES
THAT DID GIVE, GAVE VERY LITTLE; A HANDFUL OF ONE OR
ANOTHER KIND OF GRAIN, OR A PIECE OF MEAT.
THAT'S WHY HAVING COLLECTED SO LITTLE, EVEN THOUGH HE
VISITED EVERYONE IN THE HEIGHBORHOOD, HE HEADED HOME.
ON THE WAY HOME HE STARTED THINKING:
"I RODE AROUND THE WHOLE FARM NEIGHBORHOOD AND BARELY
COLLECTED ENOUGH FOR THIS ONE DAY! BUT I HAVE THE FIELDS
TO PLANT, WE HAVE TO LIVE TILL THE NEW BREAD. WHAT AM I
SUPPOSED TO DO NOW? JUST GO AND KILL MYSELF!"
WHEN HE WAS THINKING THIS, DREAMING, HE HEARD THAT SOMEONE
LAUGHED IN THE BACK OF THE WAGON. HE TURNED AROUND AND SAW:
IN HIS WAGON IS SITTING A HAIRY, STRONG BLACK BEARDED
GIPSY, AND EATING BACON WITH BREAD. THE MAN WAS SURPRISED.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY WAGON?" THE MAN ASKED THE GIPSY.
"I WAS WALKING, AND I SEE A MAN IS RIDING. IN THE WAGON IS
A BAG WITH HOLES IN IT, THROUGH WHICH GRAIN IS FALLING.
I YELL--HE DOESN'T ANSWER. I CAUGHT UP WITH HIM,
PLUGGED UP THE BAG AND I SEE--FROM ANOTHER BAG, SOME
BACON IS STICKING OUT. I COULDN'T HELP IT AND I STARTED
EATING IT," EXPLAINED THE GIPSY AND LAUGHED.
"IT'S A JOKE TO YOU, YES! BUT HOW IS MY FAMILY GOING TO
LAUGH?" SAYS THE MAN.
"ARE YOU A BEGGAR OR SOMETHING THAT A PIECE OF BACON HAS
SUCH AN EFFECT ON YOUR FAMILY?"
"AT THIS TIME I AM REALLY A BEGGAR."
"WHY ARE YOU SO UNLUCKY? WHAT HAS HAPPENED?" ASKED THE GIPSY.
"IT'S GOD'S PUNISHMENT, YOU SEE, HAS BEFALLEN ME: MY FARM
BURNED DOWN AND I SURVIVED WITH MY FAMILY JUST AS YOU SEE ME
NOW. I WAS RIDING AROUND TRYING TO FIND SOME PEOPLE TO GIVE
ME SOME FOOD, BUT I DIDN'T GET MUCH; THEY THEMSELVES DON'T
HAVE MUCH IN THE SPRING."
BECAUSE EVERY COMMON PERSON LIKES TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT
HIS MISFORTUNE, THE MAN TOLD THE GIPSY HIS WHOLE STORY.
WHILE TELLING THE GIPSY, THEY RODE UP TO THE MAN'S LAND.
THE GIPSY SAYS TO THE MAN: "I SEE THAT THE BARN IS STILL
LEFT. I WILL HELP YOU GET BACK ON YOUR FEET ON ONE CONDITION.
YOU CAN LEND AND DIVIDE YOUR WEALTH, BUT DON'T YOU DARE
CHARGE INTEREST FROM THE PEOPLE."
HAVING SAID THIS, HE CHANGED INTO A TORNADO. ONLY THE TREE
TOPS RUSTLED AND HE DISAPPEARED. THE MAN UNDERSTOOD THAT HE
HAD GIVEN A HOUSE-DEMON A RIDE AND HE WAS VERY HAPPY.
WHEN HE CAME HOME, HE TOLD HIS WIFE TO MAKE SOME SCRAMBLED
EGGS OUT OF THREE EGGS AND TOOK THEM OUT TO HIS BARN.
THE NEXT MORNING, HE FOUND A POT OF GOLD. AND THAT'S HOW IT
WAS EVERY NIGHT. THE MAN REBUILT HIS FARM, AND THE HOUSE-
DEMON KEPT ON BRINGING MONEY.
FINALLY, HE BECAME THE RICHEST IN THE REGION AND OTHERS
BEGAN TO TURN TO HIM FOR HELP: EITHER TO PUT THEM UP OR TO
LEND THEM MONEY. THE MAN LENT ONE MAN MONEY AND THEN
ANOTHER. PRETTY SOON, IT HURT THE MAN TO LEND OUT MONEY.
"I LEND SO MUCH AND WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT? EVERYONE
ELSE IS CHARGING INTEREST, WHY SHOULDN'T I?" AND WHEN THE
NEXT MAN CAME TO BORROW SOME MONEY, THE FARMER COUNTED OUT
AND KEPT HIS INTEREST CHARGE. HE WENT OUT TO THE BARN, AS
ALWAYS, TO SEE WHAT THE HOUSEDEMON BROUGHT HIM THAT TIME.
BUT HE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THE NEXT MORNING--AGAIN
NOTHING! ON THE THIRD DAY, HIS WIFE CAME FROM THE STORAGE
HOUSE CRYING: "SOMEONE ROBBED US TO THE LAST GRAIN, AS
IF THEY SWEPT THE ROOM CLEAN!" THE MAN WENT TO LOOK--NO-
WHERE A FOOTPRINT OR A SIGN THAT A THIEF HAD BROKEN IN.
BUT THE BINS WERE EMPTY! HE CLIMBED UP TO THE ROOF RUCKS--
NO BACON, NO SAUSAGES. THEN THE MAN UNDERSTOOD THAT THE
DEMON IS GETTING BACK AT HIM. HE CALLED THEN, THE MAN
WHOM HE HAD CHARGED INTEREST AND SAID:
"HERE IS YOUR INTEREST. RETURN TO ME AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE
BORROWED." AND HE RETURNED TO THE MAN HOW MUCH HE HAD
KEPT TO HIMSELF.
THE HOUSE-DEMON DIDN'T GET BACK AT THE FARMER ANYMORE, BUT
HE ALSO DIDN'T BRING ANY MORE WEALTH TO HIM.

Submitter comment: TRANSLATED FROM LITHUANIAN BY RAMUNE M. STONYS.
TRANSLATED FROM LITHUANIAN BY COLLECTOR

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 02-08-1972