The Day Death Came To Town

Long ago，in a little town not so faraway，three young men sat outside a tavern.They saw a funeral procession passing by.They asked a young man who worked in the tavern to find out the identity of the dead person.The boy returned and said，“It is your old friend Lively.He was murdered by a thief named Death. The oldest man in the group turned to his friends and said，“Who is this fellow Death?Why is everyone so afraid of him?I am not scared.Let us find this Death and get rid of him.” The three men agreed.They shook hands.They were going to find Death and put an end to his evil deeds.They went into the tavern and asked the keeper where they might find this fellow called Death.The man said，“Ten miles down the road there is a village.Recently，a plague went through there.Men，women and children all died.I am certain you will find Death in that unhappy place.” The three men got up and set off to the village.They were in high，good spirits.They had only gone a few miles when they met an ugly old woman.They laughed at her wrinkles and her wispy grey hair.They made fun of her old，torn clothing.They would not let her pass even though she looked frightened. “Please，please，get out of my way，”the old lady cried.“I tell you Death is following me.I must get away from him to survive.I do not want to die.Get out of my way.

“We will not let you pass，”the leader of the three men said.“Tell us where we can find this Death.He has murdered our friend.When we find him，we will kill him.” “Gentlemen，”said the old lady，“if you want to find Death，all you have to do is look under that old oak tree，up there at the top of the hill.” On hearing this，the three men allowed the old woman to pass.They ran up to the oak tree.When they got there，they did not find Death.Instead，they found a chest filled with gold coins.They sat down to count their newfound treasure.They quickly forgot about finding Death. Finally，the leader said，“We must be careful with this gold.The town’ s people will say we stole it.We will be hanged as thieves.Let us draw straws.The one who draws the shortest straw will go back to town and get some food.The other two will stay and keep watch over the gold.Tomorrow we will divide the treasure and go our separate ways.That way no one can accuse us of being thieves.” They agreed to this plan.They drew the straws.The shortest straw was drawn by the youngest of the three men.The other two gave him a few gold coins.He went off to town to buy some food.The two men guarding the gold quickly made a plan.They decided to kill their friend when he returned with the food.First，they would eat the food.Then they would divide the treasure two ways instead of three. The youngest man walked into town.He thought，“I will buy the food.I will also buy poison and put it in the food.My two friends will die and I will have all the treasure to myself.”So he bought a strong poison.He put it in to the food and drink he purchased.That night he went back to his friends. When he returned，his companions jumped on him and murdered him.They quickly buried his body.“Now，”the leader said，“let us relax and eat.We are very wealthy men.”They spread out the food and drink.They ate their dinner with satisfaction，not noticing any strange taste.In a few minutes，both men were dead from the poison. So it came to be that the three men found Death――just the person they had been looking for.And they found him under the old oak tree，just as the old woman they had tormented had promised.

很久以前，在一個不遠的小鎮上，三個年輕人坐在一個小旅店外面。他們看見一個送葬隊伍經過，便讓一個在小旅店工作的年輕人去打聽打聽是誰死了。那小伙子回來說：“是你們的老朋友，名叫‘快活’。他被一個叫‘死亡’的賊謀殺了。” 三人中年齡最大的人轉過身，對他的兩個朋友說：“這個叫‘死亡’的家伙到底是誰?為什么人們都這么害怕他?我可一點也不害怕。走，咱們一起去找‘死亡’，然后把他干掉!” 三人同意采取這一行動，互相握了握手。他們打算去找“死亡”，終止他的罪行。他們走進小旅店，向旅店老板打聽到哪兒才能找到那個叫“死亡”的家伙。那個老板說：“沿著這條路走10英里，有一個村莊。最近，那里流行一種瘟疫，男女老少都死了。我敢肯定，在那個倒霉的地方，你們一定能找到那個叫‘死亡’的家伙。” 三個人站起來，朝那個村莊出發了。他們精神抖擻，情緒高昂。他們剛走了幾英里就碰上一個相貌丑陋的老太太。他們嘲笑那老太太的皺紋和她的縷縷灰發，還取笑她的襤褸衣衫。盡管老太太神色驚慌，可是他們還是擋住她的路，不放她走。 “求求你們，給我讓條路吧，”老太太哭喊著。“我告訴你們，‘死亡’正在跟著我，我必須逃掉，才能活下去。我不想死，趕快把路讓開。” “我們不會讓開道的，”那個領頭的人說。“快告訴我們到哪里才能找到那個叫‘死亡’的家伙?他殺了我們的朋友，等我們找到他，我們一定要宰了他!” “先生們，”那老太太說，“如果你們真想找到‘死亡’的話，只要跑到那山頂上，到那棵老橡樹下看一看就行了。” 聽到這話，三個人放老太太走了。他們跑上山來到那棵橡樹的下面，可是，他們沒有找到“死亡”，卻發現了一個裝滿金幣的箱子。他們坐下來數著剛剛得到的寶物，很快就把尋找“死亡”的事忘得一干二凈了。 最后，那個領頭的說：“我們必須看好這些金子，小鎮上的人會說我們偷了金子。我們會被當作賊絞死的。這樣吧，咱們現在抽簽，誰抽到最短的簽誰就到鎮上去買吃的。另外兩個就留下來看守這些金子。明天我們就分了這些寶物，然后各奔東西，這樣，誰也沒法指控我們是賊。” 他們都贊同這一計劃，抽了簽。最短的簽被他們當中最年輕的抽到了。另外兩個人給了他幾塊金幣。他拿著金幣到小鎮買吃的去了。兩個看守金幣的人很快想出了一個計劃，他們打算等他們的朋友帶著吃的回來時馬上殺了他。然后他們將先把食物吃掉，再把本該分成三份的寶物分成兩份。 那個最年輕的人走進小鎮。他想：“我要買一些食物，還要買一些毒藥放進食物里。我的兩個朋友吃了就會死掉，那些寶物就可以全部歸我所有!”于是，他買了一種烈性毒藥，他把毒藥放進他買的食物和飲料中。當天晚上，他回到朋友身邊。 他剛走回來，他的兩個同伴就撲向他，把他干掉了。他們迅速把他的尸體埋掉。“現在，”那位領頭的說，“讓我們放松一下，吃點東西吧。我們現在已經是富翁了。”他們把吃的、喝的攤在地上，得意地吃起晚餐來，他們沒有覺察到食物有什么怪味道。幾分鐘后，他們就中毒身亡了。 就這樣，三個人都找到了“死亡”---這正是他們要尋找的那個“死亡”。像那個他們折磨過的老太太所說的那樣，他們果真在那棵老橡樹下找到了他。