The Old Man and Death
An old man gathers wood in the forest. The wood is heavy and the sun burns. The man is very tired and cannot walk. At last he drops the heavy load. The old man is sad and shouts.
"Death, come and take me!" he says. Suddenly Death stands before him. Death asks him, "Why do you call me?" The man sees Death and is afraid. Now the old man wants to live.
Quickly he finds an excuse. "Please put the wood on my back," he says. Death helps him and goes away. The old man goes home happy. Life is hard, but life is sweet. While there is life, there is hope.