That's what they say.
One rich man was very afraid of death. Therefore, he made an agreement with death like this: when his time comes, death will tell him about it in advance so that he can prepare.
The rich man lives in great peace and knows only one concern: how to accumulate more gold.
“Why be afraid of death ahead of time!” the rich man thinks. “When death tells me: “Get ready!” - then I will repent of all my sins and die with a clear conscience.”
And so he lived, year after year.
And then one day the rich man learned that death had stolen a little goat from his herd.
But what is one kid of a goat for such a rich man! The rich man didn’t even think about it.
A little time passed, and a terrible pestilence attacked his herds. Every day, death takes away either a goat, or a horse, or a buffalo.
And the rich man thinks:
“It would be better if death exterminated my cattle, as long as it didn’t touch me!”
Then the rich man’s children began to get sick and, one after another, died.
Then the wife died.
But nothing is done for the rich. He is in no danger of death.
And suddenly death appears to him.
“Let’s go,” he says, “your time has come!”
The rich man got angry:
- Why did you, death, break your word?
And death says:
- No, I kept my word.
- How did she contain it! - the rich man shouts. - You apparently forgot about our agreement! You promised to warn me in advance! And now I still can’t go with you, I’m not ready to die yet!
- Didn’t I warn you? - says death. - I knocked on your house every day. Your herds were carried away - you didn’t want to know anything. She took her children and wife - you didn’t think about anything. Every day I repeated to you: “Get ready! I’ve come!” How can you speak more clearly? Apparently, an elephant stepped on your ear if you didn’t hear or understand anything!
With these words, death grabbed the rich man and carried him away.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru