THE STORY OF DEATH

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 303, 20 December 1922, Page 2

THE STORY OF DEATH

■y:.* , ? l . tliere once lived In Zanders a corat |^t'o(young people who delighted in ' *11 feints of foolishness. They were 'ilijwayß - iaaanrelling, gambling, or V tfcey danced with lute^, i nStffcs/and citherns and played at dio© 1 ,f'"!both night and day, ■ S V-C sJNow, tliese, three rioters, of whom I ■ sitii- telling you; were sitting in a tavp. "fcjSi* *iuite eaxkr one morning when, as t|\ .#&% $a£,&ey heard a bell ringing in m\ iront"ofadead man, who was being * ■ ys.riti& to his grave. Then one of If x -them called to his servant: "Go quick- , ? V; ay," said he, "and ask whose body .11-.thiß-.is which is passing by here, and

■see lhat you tell us his name correct- : »s-~fiyJ. "Sir;" answered the lad, "that i 3 at .all necessary, for I was told ■•"r",' two "iiours'"before you came liere. Hβ I .was an'old friend of yours, and lie. '* V'.-%fl«- krlWd; suddenly last riight, while 2io was drtrnlt, sitting uprigui ob. liis fHWich. There came a secret thief, men trail 'Death, who slayeth all the people '■-;*{ in .'--ihte : country, and smote him " 'throuaii the heart with -his spear, and , - : #eiit : ltis way without more words. ': -y^TiMS'- , -pestilent fellow Uatfr slairi a •>' tiioiia'futd,. and, master, before you '-■- come 'filtb his presence, I : think:it -"'■'■'WouUV necessary for you to be aware of such an ad» r er«stry; you should -ho. always ready, to meet him. taashc loef I say no more." ; . . 1 . "The Jad speaka y/i.H,?iy." ;said the iasjdlprd qf the taverr., * f for in a large 1 village, rather more .thaa'a foils from ;^f ; fee -lias slain/ V;tlu;v twelve - jmonths. men, women. and_:chi!4ren, ■.-: Servants and pages, I"Ur»ow lm home ' «nust bo there. It would be wise to thluk; T,yeJi before i-ns-.iU.-hi* such a man," - - - ■"Jμ. U yo dangerou,- to mccl him?" '■'■■■-'-'-in-ietf one of the rio v erH. "I swoar/I .will :r?ek for him on th- t'oacl and in " ■"every street. Listen, Zci~n&s : , we. threo . ..are jui ono man; let us hold up our •iianda to one.another, and each become .Jiis friend's, brother; and we. will slay. false ..traitor,. Deatir. Before night * 'lie' shall bo slain, wtrc> bath slain so y '"Mktiy:" Together thexi th?se three- did plight, their troth, each of them to live '•■'",-*ad'-die'-for the other, as though they ;' - ! haa been born brother^. They s tar ted tip, in a drunken rage, and went forth ' ; " "kt once io that village, of '.v/hich the iiinltoeper had spoken before/and with "many an oath they.Kivore 'Vhat Death ... . should be dead, ,if caiild seize '•.-: . - 'wii^n-they had r.o : : goae'q'uite half ~;. -ft.-tnilo, just as they smo-uld-Uavc cross- - 4..«d a 'sttle, they root v old mars r- : isrho: greeted them verj- humbly and , $ms, "'Now, gehtleuien,-God save you!" ;•■■■' " Thoii the prbudeft", of ] the -.three tuiHwered "l\lxn again..:' ; W3sat, miserable fellow, ','wiiv '."art". \ thou so up except'cay f-:ice v \vhy dost "-.Jth'Oti'l-iye'so long at such a great- age?" . ?TSe : oS*l man t looked Iα h.is : iace^-and .•:''..«aidT "''B'ecausVl caaiiot find a-n>:one,-I should walk to India, either ■ ; *;|n: b>V{U- or village, wiir, .will cliangc liis ..youth Cor my age. Thfir:-foi's I must jstill keep my age, as' h.nxs as it is ■.vdU. 3'Jven Dealii, aias- will not take my life. So I walk, iilw a restless . 'yftcieh. ami Itnock with.my stick on r $h& : groxm§, which is the• fgate of ■my mother Earth, eatiy.anrt iats, and say, fcbear' mother, let mc in. ijehold 3iow ;: IS. am Wasting away, flesu! , aud blood : tincl skinj alas,-when mil my bones be at reet? : brother, I would'change tho *3Offin that lias been in my room a long 'Jlme* for a shroud to wrap mc in.' But ■ 'pile will iipt do mc even this kindness, for which my face grow.* pale and ; Iyri.okied.

* f for in a large

'""•"Bui. gentlemen, it in no.t becoming , tpe you to speak unkindly to an old '■■'' man; ; On less he trespass toy word or Y"ou yourselves may read in '■;■■:.. jfc&s? 'Moly Scriptures that you .should . 'jjtand .up itit-the presence o£ an old man ■ Cyrikh wiiite hiurs. Tlierei'ore : , I advise , . ypu» dp nor. harm an old inaxi vow, any iaibre than yoa would wen should do ■.;%J|3e'ybu in, your old age, if-you live po And may God be with you, " ivyiore you may -walk or rule: I must h«n.cc ' t*-2iere I have io." ■ ».].' than sha'itnot," said Second g&wtitet-; "thou shalt not i - ,l "';;oefC»pe-''JS sn ' easily. You spoke just t ' tujsy-of;that trait Beath, wfto is kill-' aU our frlenfls in this coiottry. By 0 My troth, since you are iris spy, tell £'''$1$ where lie Is or you shall j)ay for it ■ yon are In a plot with him us young people, you false " ' ■-■■■■■ " ■■•

'■*#ca,y-, ■gentlemen," eaUl'be, ""if you

-S&.-dasire to find Deatfc, tnr« uj> this if "'ijjiwJDlced. lamj, for. I left him ju that |! ■£>#pBC# > - -by my faith, under a tree, and : pfeer© ."."nrHt-he" sfayv He wlll not hide i . jjjiimsclf for your Coasting. Do' you-see

.r. ; - Iliut oak? Yotl will ilafl : hltß. just, I . f&ero. Bfay who retifeetoecl xn'au-"'-Itlsd, ; sate and convert, fou , ." ■■;:;■&. •■ ■ . ■ - "

The Pardoaer's Tale—By Chaucer

Ki;I OID BX «. BEItfLEY JOHNSOW.

So safd the old man, and every one of these , three ' rioters ran till they eaaae to that tree, and they found there nearly eight bushels, as it seemed to them, of fine florins in round, gold coins.' Then they sought no longer for Death; for each of them was glad at the sight, because the florins xeere so bright and fair, and they sat tlowrc by this precious hoard.

The worst of them spoke tho first word. "Bi-others/ , said he, "take heed of what I say; I am ho "fool, though 1 jest and play. Fortimo has .given us (his treasure that we may live our lives in mirth and iollity. and we will spend it"as' liglitly as'it hath come. Who thdugh'6, this -morning, ■ that we should have so , fair a chance? If this gold could be carried front here to ray house,-"or to ' youi's, then were we happy indeed, Ybu'linow well that all. tills gold is ours. But, truly, it cannot be done by day. Men would say that wo were great tliieves, and : hang us for our treasure. T.Ms-treasure must be carried by riigiti. as carefully and eeoredy as'possible. Therefore, I advito t^at I6ts be clrft\vn between us, and let us ; see 'where "'the lot falls. And-lie thai; , haiii" t'li? lot shall run, ersncKly and gaily/to town, and »c- ---■ cretly bring , us'bread and wine; And two o! us j?uard this ..treasure. ,, ;And, if lie" does not delay, "when it: is night we- will' carry the treasure 1 wherever we .all agr.ee is best," Tlirn. one of them held the lot iji his liand. n'.iid bid. them, draw and look wiLcrp'-jt". fell/;-It?-fell to the, youngest of iheva all, and iyeset off at once for the town.' . Then,-as soon as he had pone, 'one of. them .said to the other:

"YoO lirjow'tliat you, are ray sworn, j brorfeei\:'i Vvul tell you what we had • beut-i- cloy You' know well that our J compart ion is J '&oncy; and here is the soi«. and ui&t in great plenty, which isto be diviaeel iamong" us three. But if I call l afrarig9.-io ; 'that it is-divided tmiOßji '' us' 'two, " shall I not! b'S d«?h||f y«ni'";'.a , goo:!., turn?' The other "I do not see liow that cf-:j> hey- Ho knows that we have the gold. ■•Hvivd.i shall! we Go? What shall ye say t» liitn?" "Shall we discuss it?"' said the^first rascal, "and I will toll vois. i)l a! few words what to, do,',*; and nay? to' avj'anjs'e tlie /matter.". "I j a-ree." £«Jd the oilier, *'without hositation .fiiid,' tjy-toy troth, I vail not betray you, - "' "'.'Now," sai<] (.lit- "you !v:i!.;vJ \v,Al that- we are- lwo,.iiuc"l two are ] s'upnjrer.'thaa' one. See ,wl;er, he sits j clciwn, do you rise- quiclily as though ! you would wrestle, v/iili Jiho, and I j will siab. him through, the'two sides! while you are strug'glnis with him as \ Jn p.'».y: and see you do. the same'with, j your ctegirer." . .. j : ."■'Siiviit :".?ny dear, friend;"-.-shall this | gokU't: (iivide-d between'its two. Then can r e hotii fulfil all our--desires and* play dice .fest as .we.like.'-" §o it was j a.yrcc : {,;. il'elween .these two rascals to i kill the third, as you-liave heard ine ' say. •'■'■.' " . ■'■ : ■ i Moa.iiv;, lute the youngest, as he waa i makiiy;' his way to' the town, kept j turning over in his mind the beauty of j tti.oso new I;right florins. ."Ah, mc," said lie, "iL ? only I could keep all this treasure io -mj'self alone, there is no mari uad«sr tie sun who should live so j merrily as IV and at last,our enemy-, ;lie iiaxil i put it into Ms mind that lie Blight bi'iy poison, with which to kill his' £wo cererades. The deVil saw lie. ■was leaning such' a v/icked life that I lie "sro'al'3 ?>:• permitted to liring him to j sorrow.' 'For lie fully intended to kill j them "ooili, and would never repent, j Then lie waited no longer, but Ivurried into flic town, to an apothecary; and asked iiita'to sell liim some to Irill hid rais. He also said there was a polecat in -his yard that had .lulled his chickens, and lie wished, if he could, to kill iho, vermin which destroyed tberri ny night. The apothecary- anWei'ed, "Thou.shalt have something' tfiat.-nd animal in all the world can eat or drink so mudi as a'grain of wheat without losing" his life. He shall die, and before you can walk a xnite, this poison is so strong" and violent, '.i

This wicked man seized, a box p£ this poison in his hand,, and Lhen he ran to a'man in the next street, and borrowed from hini three large bottles. In two lαe poured the poison, and kept ilic third clean for his 'own drink. For he determined-to-, work'"all the night carrying away the gold. And when 'tiie rioter, with fatal care, had filled tlie three bottles with wine he returned again to his comrades.

' Wliafc aaeed is there to say more? For- jcjyen as they had planned Ids <so they killed him and that quickly. And when this was done, on& of them said, "Now, let us sit and drink and be merry, ami afterwards we •will bury his ftody." And at that word ; lie happened by chance to.take tfce bottle in which wa.s~.thx?