47 lines
3 KiB
Text
47 lines
3 KiB
Text
Death's Messengers
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In ancient times a giant was once travelling on a great highway, when
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suddenly an unknown man sprang up before him, and said, "Halt, not one
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step farther!" "What!" cried the giant, "a creature whom I can crush
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between my fingers, wants to block my way? Who art thou that thou
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darest to speak so boldly?" "I am Death," answered the other. "No one
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resists me, and thou also must obey my commands." But the giant
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refused, and began to struggle with Death. It was a long, violent
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battle, at last the giant got the upper hand, and struck Death down
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with his fist, so that he dropped by a stone. The giant went his way,
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and Death lay there conquered, and so weak that he could not get up
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again. "What will be done now," said he, "if I stay lying here in a
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corner? No one will die in the world, and it will get so full of people
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that they won't have room to stand beside each other." In the meantime
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a young man came along the road, who was strong and healthy, singing a
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song, and glancing around on every side. When he saw the half-fainting
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one, he went compassionately to him, raised him up, poured a
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strengthening draught out of his flask for him, and waited till he came
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round. "Dost thou know," said the stranger, whilst he was getting up,
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"who I am, and who it is whom thou hast helped on his legs again?"
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"No," answered the youth, "I do not know thee." "I am Death," said he.
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"I spare no one, and can make no exception with thee, but that thou
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mayst see that I am grateful, I promise thee that I will not fall on
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thee unexpectedly, but will send my messengers to thee before I come
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and take thee away." "Well," said the youth, "it is something gained
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that I shall know when thou comest, and at any rate be safe from thee
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for so long." Then he went on his way, and was light-hearted, and
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enjoyed himself, and lived without thought. But youth and health did
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not last long, soon came sicknesses and sorrows, which tormented him by
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day, and took away his rest by night. "Die, I shall not," said he to
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himself, "for Death will send his messengers before that, but I do wish
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these wretched days of sickness were over." As soon as he felt himself
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well again he began once more to live merrily. Then one day some one
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tapped him on the shoulder. He looked round, and Death stood behind
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him, and said, "Follow me, the hour of thy departure from this world
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has come." "What," replied the man, "wilt thou break thy word? Didst
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thou not promise me that thou wouldst send thy messengers to me before
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coming thyself? I have seen none!" "Silence!" answered Death. "Have I
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not sent one messenger to thee after another? Did not fever come and
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smite thee, and shake thee, and cast thee down? Has dizziness not
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bewildered thy head? Has not gout twitched thee in all thy limbs? Did
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not thine ears sing? Did not tooth-ache bite into thy cheeks? Was it
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not dark before thine eyes? And besides all that, has not my own
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brother Sleep reminded thee every night of me? Didst thou not lie by
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night as if thou wert already dead? The man could make no answer; he
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yielded to his fate, and went away with Death.
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