Chapter 28 27. Land of Immortality

One day, a young man said, "Everyone is going to die. I don't feel comfortable about this. I'm going to find a place where I can live forever." He said goodbye to his father, mother, uncles and cousins, and set off.He walked for many days and many months, asking everyone he met if he could tell him where the Land of Immortality was, but no one could answer him.One day he came across an old man with a chest-length white beard who was pushing a cart full of stones.He asked the old man, "Can you tell me where the land of immortality is?" "You don't want to die? Then follow me. You won't die until I remove that mountain stone by stone with my cart."

"How long will it take to level that mountain?" "It will take a hundred years." "I still have to die after a hundred years?" "yes." "No, this is not the place I'm looking for, I'm looking for a place where I can never die." Farewell to the old man, he continued to move forward.Go, go, come to a forest, this forest is so huge that there is no end in sight.Inside was an old man with a beard that grew to his navel, who was pruning branches with a pair of large shears.The young man asked him, "Excuse me, can you tell me where the land of immortality is?"

"Follow me," said the old man to him, "and you shall not die till I have finished pruning all the branches of this forest with my shears." "How long will that take?" "Who knows! Two hundred years!" "I still have to die in two hundred years?" "That is. You still feel unsatisfied?" "Not satisfied. This is not the place I am looking for, I am looking for a place where I will never die." After saying goodbye to each other with the old man, he continued to move forward.A few months later, he came to the seaside.There was an old man with a beard that grew to his knees, watching a duck drink sea water.

"Excuse me, do you know the land of immortality?" "If you're afraid of death, follow me. You see, you won't die until this duck drains all the water in its beak." "How long will that take?" "About three hundred years." "And then you have to die?" "Then what do you want? How many more years do you want to escape?" "No, this is not the place I'm looking for, I'm looking for a place where I can never die." He is on the road again.One night he came to a splendid palace.After knocking, an old man with a beard that grew to his feet opened the door and said, "What can you do, brave young man?"

"I'm looking for the land of immortality." "You are so lucky. This is the land of immortality. As long as you follow me here, you will definitely not die." "Finally found it! I've had a hard time looking for it! This is the place I'm looking for! By the way, are you happy here?" "Well, yes, glad, it's even better to have you by my side." Therefore, the young and the old lived together in this palace, living a carefree life without worrying about food and clothing.Many, many years have passed without knowing it.One day, the young man said to the old man: "I have a really good time with you here, but I still want to go home and see my family and relatives."

"What family members and relatives do you have to see? They are already dead." "Hey, that's not what I mean! I want to go back and have a look at the places I've been. Maybe I can meet the children and grandchildren of my family and relatives." "If you really want to go back, I'll tell you what to do. You go to the stables and ride my white horse. It has the power to come and go like the wind, but you must remember that no matter what the situation is, you can't Get out of the saddle, because you'll die as soon as you get off the horse."

"Don't worry, I'm too afraid of death, I will never get off my horse!" The young man came to the stable, pulled out the white horse, got on the horse, and galloped away like the wind.Passing by the place where he once met the duck watching old man, the place where there was sea water before is now a boundless plain.There is a pile of bones next to it, which are the bones of the old man.The young man thought: Look, I was right when I continued to move forward. If I had stayed here with him, even I would have died by now! He continued on his way.The forest where the old man who cut the branches was, is now a barren land, not even a tree can be seen.The young man thought: If I had stayed here with him in the first place, I would have died just as early!

Passing by the place where the old man moved the mountain stone by stone with a small cart, there is only a large plain left, as flat as a billiard table.The young man thought: If I had stayed back then, I would have died! After riding and riding, he finally arrived at his hometown, but it had changed so much that he could no longer recognize it.He wanted to find out his own house, but there was no way back.He asked about his relatives, but no one had heard his family name.The young man felt very uncomfortable.He thought: Anyway, I have to go back right away, forget it. He turned his horse's head and started on the way back.Before he had gone halfway, he met a coachman driving an ox cart with a cart of old shoes on it. The coachman said to him: "Sir, please do me a favor. Come down a moment, help me lift the wheels out." , it drifted into the ditch."

The young man said, "I have something urgent to do, so I can't get off my horse." "Just help me, you see I'm alone, it's getting late..." The young man was moved, and got off his horse.One of his feet was still hanging on the stirrup, and the other foot fell to the ground when the coachman grabbed him and said: "Ah! I have caught you at last! Do you know who I am? I am Death, and when I saw the chariot Those worn-out shoes? They were worn out to chase you. Now you have been fooled! All of them will end up in my hands, without exception!" And just like that, the poor young man died too.

(Verona area)