y, te akovo
geero latchdas se yuv ne kamdas ta hatch adre o ratti te merav shillino,
yuv sosti ja sarja pa kosht. Te kanna i waveri foki shanas adoi, yan ne
kerden o rikkaben te wadderin i kashta adre o divvusko chirus, awer kenna
asti lel lis sar apre sustis pikkia, sar i ratti, te sar o divvus. Sa i
foki akai apre o chollo-tem dikena adovo manush keti divvus kenna, sar
pordo o koshter te bittered, te muserd te gumeri, te guberin keti leskro
noko kokero, te kunerin akonyus pash lestis yag. Te i chori mushia te
yuv badderedas adrom, yul [yan] jassed sar atut te trustal o hev akai, te
adoi, te hatchede up buti pa lender kokeros; te adovi shan i starya, te
chirkia, te bitti dudapen tu dikessa sarakai.

"Se adovo sar tacho?" Akovi se kumi te me jinova. Awer kanna sa tu
penessa me astis dikk o manush dre o chone savo rikkela kasht apre lestes
dumo, yuv sosti keravit ta chiv adre o yag, te yuv ne tevel dukker lestes
kokero ta kair adovo te yuv sus rumado or lias palyor, sa lis se kammaben
adosta o mush chingerd lestis palya te nassered lende sar anduro. Tacho.

THE MAN WHO LIVED IN THE MOON.

"Tell me another story about the moon."

Yes, my dear. In the old time many men lived happily in the moon, with
nothing to do but keep up the fire which makes the light. But among the
folk lived a very wicked, obstinate man, who troubled and hated all the
other nice [dear] people, and he managed it so as to drive them all away,
and put them out of the moon. And when the mass of the folk were gone,
he said, "Now those stupid dogs have gone, I will live comfortably and
well, all alone." But after a bit the fire began to burn down, and that
man found that if he did not want to be in the darkness [night] and die
of cold he must go all the time for wood. And when the other people were
there, they never did any carrying or splitting wood in the day-time, but
now he had to take it all on his shoulders, all night and all day. So
the people here on our earth see that man to this day all burdened [full]
of wood, and bitter and grumbling to himself, and lurking alone by his
fire. And the poor people whom he had driven away went all across and
around heaven, here and there, and set up in business for themselves, and
they are the stars and planets and lesser lights which you see all about.

ROMANY TACHIPEN.

Taken down accurately from an old gypsy. Common dialect, or
"half-and-half" language.

"Rya, tute kams mandy t