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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。”
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 tavern1) to find out the identity2) 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 a nend 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 plague3) 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 wrinkles4) and her wispy grey hair．They made fun of her5) 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 way6)．“
“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 tow n 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 purchased7)．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 tormented8) had promised．
□by Mark Hull
