Long long ago, once upon a time there lived a miser, Alfred. He was very cunning like a fox. He lived in a village with his family, he had two kids, a girl aged 6 years and a boy aged 3 years. He was bad to poor people and used to lend money to the needy charging them high interest rates, knowing they would not be able to pay it back.
If a person was not able to pay back his loan he used to abuse and beat the person and take away their assets. He was a cruel man, but he loved his family a lot specially both his kids. His kids were his life and he used to spoil them by giving them all luxuries.
One day, Alfred was sitting near the river bank which was beside a graveyard and was thinking about new ways to earn more money when he suddenly saw few men going inside the graveyard holding a black coffin.
Seeing this it stuck his mind that one day death will come to him as well, one day he will also be taken away by the death. As Alfred was very cunning he thought within himself "Why not make friendship with death", this way I will not fear death and as a friend death will surely spare me when the time comes.
Thinking this he went back home and started planning on how he can meet death. The night came, it was dark and cold and the village had very little light, after Alfred's children had gone to sleep he got up from bed and told his wife, "listen, I am going to meet a very important person today, I could be late in returning back, so do not worry about me". Saying this Alfred left for the graveyard.
It was late in the night when Alfred reached the graveyard and to his surprise he saw death taking away souls of those buried. Death was accompanied by two other messengers / helpers and they looked horrific.
As death was about to start its journey with the souls, Alfred called out. "Mr. Death, Mr. Death. Hang on for a minute please I wanted to talk to you". Death was stupefied to hear a living man calling out to him.
Death thought in itself, "when everybody fears me, everybody fears even thinking about me, this man is calling out and wants to talk to me", "I should wait and listen what he has to say".
By this time Alfred came running and greeted death with a smile and a hand shake. Death asked, "what is that you want from me, it is yet not your time and I shall come back for you when the right time comes".
Alfred quickly and cunningly replied, "I know, I know you will come back for me when the time comes, but I just wanted that you promise me that you will inform me before you come to take me".
Death was confused with such a wish and asked, "why do you want me to inform you".
Alfred again cunningly said, "I have kids and a family to look after, a business to run, I am the sole earner of my family and from what I earn I feed my children", "if I know that you would be coming to take me and it is time for me to die, then I will explain my business modus operandi and whereabouts to my son", " I will get my daughter married to a good guy and get her settled in her life". " I will donate to the poor and visit the church more and submit myself to the Lord".
Death knew Alfred was a cunning man, yet death said, "well, if that is your wish, then not a problem", "I shall inform you not once but four times before I finally come to take you".
Alfred was so happy to hear this, he thanked death and went back to his home. It was again the same day for Alfred and days after days, months after months and years together passed by.
Alfred's hair started getting white, strength of his eyes weakened and teeth started falling out, he was growing old and old. Then the day came, the right time when Alfred had to die and so death came along with its helpers to take away Alfred's soul.
Death said, "come my dear friend it's time I should take you away with me". Alfred was shocked to know this and got very annoyed and angry and shouted back to death, Alfred shouted, "death you are a cheat, you have cheated me, you had promised me that you will inform me thrice before you finally come to take me and before it is time for me to die". "Where is your promise, you have broken your promise".
Alfred was showing this false anger with a hope that Death will not engulf him because death has broken a promise, but what Alfred did not knew was - he cannot deceive death.
Death was much smarter and wittier than Alfred. Death smiled at Alfred and said, " well, as promised - I had informed you four times before today, not only that all those four times I expected a reply from you but in vain you did not replied me back."
Alfred was bewildered, "show me the proof, you cheat", "you say you have informed me, show me when had you informed me and how, I did not received any letter / signs / information from you till date".
Death looked calm and quite, with a smile death said, "you do not need a proof, you have the proof".
Alfred grew in more anger and his face turning red, he shouted for the last time and said, "what what...... what did you just said, you con-star, where...... where are the proofs, I don't have anything".
Death ordered its helper to take away Alfred's soul and while those horrific creatures where getting ready to do the task, death replied to Alfred. "Dear friend, Alfred - four times in your life I had informed you and warned you that I would come to take you but you did not paid any attention to those signs and information".
First - I had turned your hair grey and then white from those beautiful black colored hair that you had, letting you know that time is coming near, submit yourself to the Almighty and start wrapping up and finishing your pending work of life, but you did not understood. In the midst of name, fame and money you overlooked my message and just bought duplicate dye colors and colored your hair back to black.
Second - I had again informed you by diminishing the light of your eyes, you were not able to see things clearly, but unfortunately you used your money and bought glasses for yourself and ignored my message.
Third - I had made your teeth broke off from the gums, made you bleed trying to make you understand that time is coming near, get ready, but this time also you had a solution, you went to a dentist and got duplicate teeth for yourself, still you did not paid attention to my signs.
Fourth - The information came from me to you in the shape of sickness, pain and illness, body ache but again you had a solution for yourself and did not made any efforts to understand that those where signs and information to let you know that time is coming near.
You kept going on as you wanted, you did not help the poor and needy neither did you went to church or submitted yourself to God. I really felt pity and sad when I saw that in spite of me giving you signs and information as promised, you kept on using materialistic things and alternative ways and did not tried to even understand the signs that the time is coming nearer and nearer.
Alfred was gripped with fear and ashamed of such a behavior from his side, he was feeling sorry for himself but his wicked mind tried to trick death again. Alfred said very politely, "Death my friend, leave all this aside, come and stay with me, I am a rich man and I can make you wealthy as well." "I can give you riches that you might have never seen or thought or dream of, spare me and let me live and whatever I have would be yours'. "
Death heard what Alfred had to say and laughed at Alfred's foolishness. Death just before taking away the soul from the body of Alfred said the last meaningful words which not only Alfred but we all should remember.
"Riches and wealth is of no value in God's kingdom, everyone - be it rich or poor, a king or a beggar are treated the same in heaven.""Life is the most auspicious gift given to man kind by God,"and"Death, the ultimate truth of life"."Whosoever is born, has to perish one day." "Those who have been bad entire life to friends, family and others, will be punished and those who were good to everyone will be raised."
Moral of the Story: Death cannot be deceived, death is the ultimate truth and we cannot deceive or cheat death by any means, death is inevitable, rather we should trust and believe in God, our Lord, help those who are in need and be prepared each day, because we do not know when we are going to die - what we know is we will die one day because we are born.
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