A romantic night by the sea, a bonfire burns, the old gypsy Makar Chudra tells the writer a story about free gypsies. Makar advises to beware of love, for having fallen in love, a person loses his will. Confirmation of this is the story told by the Miracle.

There was Loiko Zobar, a young gypsy. Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia knew him. Adroit was horse-thief, many wanted to kill him. He only loved horses, he did not value money, he could give it to everyone who needed it.

In Bukovina there was a gypsy camp. Danila the soldier had a daughter, Radda, a beauty, not to say with words. Many hearts broke Radda. One tycoon threw any money at her feet, asking him to marry him, but Radda replied that the eagle had no place in the crow's nest.

Once Zobar came to the camp. He was handsome: “The mustache lay on his shoulders and mixed with curls, his eyes burn like clear stars, and a smile is the whole sun. It’s forged from one piece of iron with a horse. ” He played the violin, and many cried. Rudda praised Zobar's violin, he plays well. And he replied that his violin was made of the chest of a young girl, and the strings from her heart were retinued. Rudda turned away, saying that people lie when they talk about the mind of Zobar. He marveled at the girl’s sharp tongue.

Zobar stayed with Danila, went to bed, and the next morning he went out with a rag tied on his head, said that his horse had hurt him. But everyone understood that it was Radda, thought that wasn’t it worth Loiko Radda? "Well, I do not! The girl is no matter how good, but her soul is narrow and shallow, and even though you pound gold on her neck, anyway, it’s better than what she is, not to be her! ”

At that time, the camp lived well. And Loiko with them. He was wise, like an old man, and played the violin in such a way that his heart sank. If Loyko wanted, then people would give their lives for him, they loved him that way, only Rudda didn’t love him. And he loved her deeply. People around looked only, knew, “if two stones roll against each other, it is impossible to stand between them - they will mutilate”.

Once Zobar sang a song, everyone liked it, only Radda laughed. Danilo wanted to teach her a whip. But Loiko did not allow, asked to give her to him as a wife. Danilo agreed: “Yes, if you can!” Loiko approached Radda and said that she was filled with his heart, that he would marry her, but she should not contradict his will. "I am a free man and I will live as I want." Everyone thought that Rudda had reconciled. She put a whip on Loiko’s legs, jerked, and Zobar fell as a knocked down man. And she walked away and lay on the grass, smiling.

Zobar fled to the steppe, and Makar watched him, as if a guy over himself did not do it in a hurry. But Loiko only sat motionless for three hours, and then Radda came to him. Loiko wanted to stab her with a knife, but she put a gun to his forehead and said that she had come to put up, loves him. And Radda also said that she loves the will more than Zobar. She promised Loiko a hot affection, if he agrees in front of the whole camp to bow to her legs and kiss her right hand, like the eldest. Zobar shouted to the entire steppe, but agreed to the conditions of Rudda.

He returned to the camp Loiko and told the old people that he looked into his heart and did not see the previous free life there. "One Rudda lives there." And he decided to fulfill her will, bow to her feet, kiss her right hand. And he said that he would check whether Rudda had such a strong heart, how she boasts.

They didn’t have time to guess, but he stuck a knife into her heart on the handle. Rudda pulled out a knife, plugged the wound with her hair and said that she was waiting for such a death. Danilo raised the knife, thrown away by Radda to the side, examined it and stuck it in Loiko’s back, directly against the heart. Rudda lies, clutching a wound, and at her feet is the dying Loiko.

The writer did not sleep. He looked at the sea, and it seemed that he was seeing the royal Rudda, and Loiko Zobar was swimming behind her. "They both whirled in the darkness of the night smoothly and silently, and in no way could the handsome Loiko catch up with the proud Rudda."