Miguel de Cervantes' Novelas ejemplares (Exemplary Stories), published in 1613, consists of twelve short novels. The first of these short novels, The Gypsy Girl, tells of the love between the beautiful Gypsy girl Preciosa and the knight Andrés.

The Gypsy Girl is the first literary work in world literature that both depicts the life of Gypsies, has a Gypsy protagonist and does not categorically denigrate Gypsies. Although Cervantes characterizes Gypsies as masters of the art of theft, he approaches them with sincere compassion and finds them genuine and natural. His narration in the novel oscillates between the realist style and the romance style.

Gypsy Girl is a gift to the world library from Cervantes, who devoted himself to shaping the art of the novel.