Godfather Death

A poor man had twelve children and was forced to work night and day to
give them even bread. When therefore the thirteenth came into the
world, he knew not what to do in his trouble, but ran out into the
great highway, and resolved to ask the first person whom he met to be
godfather. The first to meet him was the good God who already knew what
filled his heart, and said to him, "Poor man, I pity thee. I will hold
thy child at its christening, and will take charge of it and make it
happy on earth." The man said, "Who art thou?" "I am God." "Then I do
not desire to have thee for a godfather," said the man; "thou givest to
the rich, and leavest the poor to hunger." Thus spoke the man, for he
did not know how wisely God apportions riches and poverty. He turned
therefore away from the Lord, and went farther. Then the Devil came to
him and said, "What seekest thou? If thou wilt take me as a godfather
for thy child, I will give him gold in plenty and all the joys of the
world as well." The man asked, "Who art thou?" "I am the Devil." "Then
I do not desire to have thee for godfather," said the man; "thou
deceivest men and leadest them astray." He went onwards, and then came
Death striding up to him with withered legs, and said, "Take me as
godfather." The man asked, "Who art thou?" "I am Death, and I make all
equal." Then said the man, "Thou art the right one, thou takest the
rich as well as the poor, without distinction; thou shalt be
godfather." Death answered, "I will make thy child rich and famous, for
he who has me for a friend can lack nothing." The man said, "Next
Sunday is the christening; be there at the right time." Death appeared
as he had promised, and stood godfather quite in the usual way.

When the boy had grown up, his godfather one day appeared and bade him
go with him. He led him forth into a forest, and showed him a herb
which grew there, and said, "Now shalt thou receive thy godfather's
present. I make thee a celebrated physician. When thou art called to a
patient, I will always appear to thee. If I stand by the head of the
sick man, thou mayst say with confidence that thou wilt make him well
again, and if thou givest him of this herb he will recover; but if I
stand by the patient's feet, he is mine, and thou must say that all
remedies are in vain, and that no physician in the world could save
him. But beware of using the herb against my will, or it might fare ill
with thee."

It was not long before the youth was the most famous physician in the
whole world. "He had only to look at the patient and he knew his
condition at once, and if he would recover, or must needs die." So they
said of him, and from far and wide people came to him, sent for him
when they had any one ill, and gave him so much money that he soon
became a rich man. Now it so befell that the King became ill, and the
physician was summoned, and was to say if recovery were possible. But
when he came to the bed, Death was standing by the feet of the sick
man, and the herb did not grow which could save him. "If I could but
cheat Death for once," thought the physician, "he is sure to take it
ill if I do, but, as I am his godson, he will shut one eye; I will risk
it." He therefore took up the sick man, and laid him the other way, so
that now Death was standing by his head. Then he gave the King some of
the herb, and he recovered and grew healthy again. But Death came to
the physician, looking very black and angry, threatened him with his
finger, and said, "Thou hast overreached me; this time I will pardon
it, as thou art my godson; but if thou venturest it again, it will cost
thee thy neck, for I will take thee thyself away with me."

Soon afterwards the King's daughter fell into a severe illness. She was
his only child, and he wept day and night, so that he began to lose the
sight of his eyes, and he caused it to be made known that whosoever
rescued her from death should be her husband and inherit the crown.
When the physician came to the sick girl's bed, he saw Death by her
feet. He ought to have remembered the warning given by his godfather,
but he was so infatuated by the great beauty of the King's daughter,
and the happiness of becoming her husband, that he flung all thought to
the winds. He did not see that Death was casting angry glances on him,
that he was raising his hand in the air, and threatening him with his
withered fist. He raised up the sick girl, and placed her head where
her feet had lain. Then he gave her some of the herb, and instantly her
cheeks flushed red, and life stirred afresh in her.

When Death saw that for a second time he was defrauded of his own
property, he walked up to the physician with long strides, and said,
"All is over with thee, and now the lot falls on thee," and seized him
so firmly with his ice-cold hand, that he could not resist, and led him
into a cave below the earth. There he saw how thousands and thousands
of candles were burning in countless rows, some large, others
half-sized, others small. Every instant some were extinguished, and
others again burnt up, so that the flames seemed to leap hither and
thither in perpetual change. "See," said Death, "these are the lights
of men's lives. The large ones belong to children, the half-sized ones
to married people in their prime, the little ones belong to old people;
but children and young folks likewise have often only a tiny candle."
"Show me the light of my life," said the physician, and he thought that
it would be still very tall. Death pointed to a little end which was
just threatening to go out, and said, "Behold, it is there." "Ah, dear
godfather," said the horrified physician, "light a new one for me, do
it for love of me, that I may enjoy my life, be King, and the husband
of the King's beautiful daughter." "I cannot," answered Death, "one
must go out before a new one is lighted." "Then place the old one on a
new one, that will go on burning at once when the old one has come to
an end," pleaded the physician. Death behaved as if he were going to
fulfill his wish, and took hold of a tall new candle; but as he desired
to revenge himself, he purposely made a mistake in fixing it, and the
little piece fell down and was extinguished. Immediately the physician
fell on the ground, and now he himself was in the hands of Death.
