Death is the soul of this short story. I just love the way the story was narrated. The plot is so close to you yet it amazed you, specifically me in its own way. Kind of remind me that when it come to serious business, you can never run away. You might not see it because it is invisible but it might chase you for your whole life. May you be amuse reading this masterpiece. Take your time and enjoy. By the way, don't forget to breath and be thankful! -aisahghani
"The Appointment in Samarra"
(as retold by W. Somerset Maugham [1933])
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture, now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threating getsture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
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