98 lines
6.2 KiB
Text
98 lines
6.2 KiB
Text
Godfather Death
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A poor man had twelve children and was forced to work night and day to
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give them even bread. When therefore the thirteenth came into the
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world, he knew not what to do in his trouble, but ran out into the
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great highway, and resolved to ask the first person whom he met to be
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godfather. The first to meet him was the good God who already knew what
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filled his heart, and said to him, "Poor man, I pity thee. I will hold
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thy child at its christening, and will take charge of it and make it
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happy on earth." The man said, "Who art thou?" "I am God." "Then I do
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not desire to have thee for a godfather," said the man; "thou givest to
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the rich, and leavest the poor to hunger." Thus spoke the man, for he
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did not know how wisely God apportions riches and poverty. He turned
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therefore away from the Lord, and went farther. Then the Devil came to
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him and said, "What seekest thou? If thou wilt take me as a godfather
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for thy child, I will give him gold in plenty and all the joys of the
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world as well." The man asked, "Who art thou?" "I am the Devil." "Then
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I do not desire to have thee for godfather," said the man; "thou
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deceivest men and leadest them astray." He went onwards, and then came
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Death striding up to him with withered legs, and said, "Take me as
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godfather." The man asked, "Who art thou?" "I am Death, and I make all
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equal." Then said the man, "Thou art the right one, thou takest the
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rich as well as the poor, without distinction; thou shalt be
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godfather." Death answered, "I will make thy child rich and famous, for
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he who has me for a friend can lack nothing." The man said, "Next
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Sunday is the christening; be there at the right time." Death appeared
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as he had promised, and stood godfather quite in the usual way.
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When the boy had grown up, his godfather one day appeared and bade him
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go with him. He led him forth into a forest, and showed him a herb
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which grew there, and said, "Now shalt thou receive thy godfather's
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present. I make thee a celebrated physician. When thou art called to a
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patient, I will always appear to thee. If I stand by the head of the
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sick man, thou mayst say with confidence that thou wilt make him well
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again, and if thou givest him of this herb he will recover; but if I
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stand by the patient's feet, he is mine, and thou must say that all
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remedies are in vain, and that no physician in the world could save
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him. But beware of using the herb against my will, or it might fare ill
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with thee."
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It was not long before the youth was the most famous physician in the
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whole world. "He had only to look at the patient and he knew his
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condition at once, and if he would recover, or must needs die." So they
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said of him, and from far and wide people came to him, sent for him
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when they had any one ill, and gave him so much money that he soon
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became a rich man. Now it so befell that the King became ill, and the
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physician was summoned, and was to say if recovery were possible. But
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when he came to the bed, Death was standing by the feet of the sick
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man, and the herb did not grow which could save him. "If I could but
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cheat Death for once," thought the physician, "he is sure to take it
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ill if I do, but, as I am his godson, he will shut one eye; I will risk
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it." He therefore took up the sick man, and laid him the other way, so
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that now Death was standing by his head. Then he gave the King some of
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the herb, and he recovered and grew healthy again. But Death came to
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the physician, looking very black and angry, threatened him with his
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finger, and said, "Thou hast overreached me; this time I will pardon
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it, as thou art my godson; but if thou venturest it again, it will cost
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thee thy neck, for I will take thee thyself away with me."
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Soon afterwards the King's daughter fell into a severe illness. She was
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his only child, and he wept day and night, so that he began to lose the
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sight of his eyes, and he caused it to be made known that whosoever
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rescued her from death should be her husband and inherit the crown.
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When the physician came to the sick girl's bed, he saw Death by her
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feet. He ought to have remembered the warning given by his godfather,
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but he was so infatuated by the great beauty of the King's daughter,
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and the happiness of becoming her husband, that he flung all thought to
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the winds. He did not see that Death was casting angry glances on him,
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that he was raising his hand in the air, and threatening him with his
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withered fist. He raised up the sick girl, and placed her head where
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her feet had lain. Then he gave her some of the herb, and instantly her
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cheeks flushed red, and life stirred afresh in her.
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When Death saw that for a second time he was defrauded of his own
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property, he walked up to the physician with long strides, and said,
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"All is over with thee, and now the lot falls on thee," and seized him
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so firmly with his ice-cold hand, that he could not resist, and led him
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into a cave below the earth. There he saw how thousands and thousands
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of candles were burning in countless rows, some large, others
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half-sized, others small. Every instant some were extinguished, and
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others again burnt up, so that the flames seemed to leap hither and
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thither in perpetual change. "See," said Death, "these are the lights
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of men's lives. The large ones belong to children, the half-sized ones
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to married people in their prime, the little ones belong to old people;
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but children and young folks likewise have often only a tiny candle."
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"Show me the light of my life," said the physician, and he thought that
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it would be still very tall. Death pointed to a little end which was
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just threatening to go out, and said, "Behold, it is there." "Ah, dear
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godfather," said the horrified physician, "light a new one for me, do
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it for love of me, that I may enjoy my life, be King, and the husband
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of the King's beautiful daughter." "I cannot," answered Death, "one
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must go out before a new one is lighted." "Then place the old one on a
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new one, that will go on burning at once when the old one has come to
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an end," pleaded the physician. Death behaved as if he were going to
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fulfill his wish, and took hold of a tall new candle; but as he desired
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to revenge himself, he purposely made a mistake in fixing it, and the
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little piece fell down and was extinguished. Immediately the physician
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fell on the ground, and now he himself was in the hands of Death.
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