Post by Greg C. on Jan 4, 2008 23:12:24 GMT -5
This is a story I heard a few years back and something reminded me of it today so I thought I would retell it (as best as I can remember) because it has stuck with me all of these years.
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It was a terrible time. Europe was being ravaged unmercifully by the black plague. Millions were killed and every person knew of some one dead or dying of the illness. People wandered and prayed in churches and in the streets. No one was safe, no one took life for granted anymore. Then there were three young men. They wandered without a care in the world. Yes, they had friends affected by the illness but they had money and time, and felt that they would have some fun in this terrible time.
As they wandered the land looking for some amusement one suggested jokingly that they go and look for death because they wanted to see what he looked like. They searched and searched for him without finding nothing. As they continued on the journey, they came across a hut with an old man sitting out front. The men approached and told them there quest about finding death. The old man told them to follow the road until they came across a large tree. Under that tree is where they would find death.
The three men continued down the road until they finally came to the tree. Underneath the tree lay three huge bushels of gold and jewels of all kinds. After debating about what to do with it, they decided that since it was late, one man would go into town to get wine and food and then in the morning, they would haul the gold back to their homes. The other two men would stay and guard the gold and jewels.
The man left to go get the food and wine and the other two men decided that upon his arrival, they would jump him with a knife and kill him so they could keep the gold for themselves. The man who went to get the wine however, decided to poison the wine and give it to the other two, that way he could keep all the gold for himself.
The man with the now poisoned wine made his way back and was in turn attacked by his two friends. They stabbed him to death underneath the tree. Then in celebration of carrying out the deed, they both drank the wine.
And that is how the three young men found death.
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It was a terrible time. Europe was being ravaged unmercifully by the black plague. Millions were killed and every person knew of some one dead or dying of the illness. People wandered and prayed in churches and in the streets. No one was safe, no one took life for granted anymore. Then there were three young men. They wandered without a care in the world. Yes, they had friends affected by the illness but they had money and time, and felt that they would have some fun in this terrible time.
As they wandered the land looking for some amusement one suggested jokingly that they go and look for death because they wanted to see what he looked like. They searched and searched for him without finding nothing. As they continued on the journey, they came across a hut with an old man sitting out front. The men approached and told them there quest about finding death. The old man told them to follow the road until they came across a large tree. Under that tree is where they would find death.
The three men continued down the road until they finally came to the tree. Underneath the tree lay three huge bushels of gold and jewels of all kinds. After debating about what to do with it, they decided that since it was late, one man would go into town to get wine and food and then in the morning, they would haul the gold back to their homes. The other two men would stay and guard the gold and jewels.
The man left to go get the food and wine and the other two men decided that upon his arrival, they would jump him with a knife and kill him so they could keep the gold for themselves. The man who went to get the wine however, decided to poison the wine and give it to the other two, that way he could keep all the gold for himself.
The man with the now poisoned wine made his way back and was in turn attacked by his two friends. They stabbed him to death underneath the tree. Then in celebration of carrying out the deed, they both drank the wine.
And that is how the three young men found death.
