Death Speaks ...

[plural]

there was a merchant in jerusalem
who sent his servant to buy provisions
and in a little while the servant came back,
white and trembling and said

"master, just now when i was in the marketplace
i was jostled by a woman in the crowd and
when i turned i saw it was death that jostled me
she looked at me and made a threatening guesture;
now lend me your horse and i will ride away from this city
and avoid my fate. i will go to cairo and there death will not find me."

the merchant lent him his horse and the servant mounted it
dug in his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.

then the merchant went down to the marketplace and
he saw me standing in the crowd
and he came to me and said

"why did you make a threatening guesture to my servant
when you saw him this morning?"

"that was not a threatening guesture"
i said
"it was only a start of surprise.
i was astonished to see him in jerusalem,
for i had an appointment with him
tonight in cairo"





- author unknown