Luu and Death god

Nobody could explain why people belonging to Luu family used to die early. Servants of Death god brought them away when they about thirty years old. The luckiest person ended his life as he was forty. Therefore, all people in the Luu asked the others to prepare for their deaths when they nearly thirty.

While Luu family had young deaths, a fisher in La family had lived for three hundred years. He still had good health and had no sign that he was going to die. But, he was reticent and didn’t like to converse with others.

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A man in Luu family knew that and he felt that was unfair. He was angry and planned to ask the Death god to explain why he did the unfair thing. Short time later, he was thirty one years old and of course, servants of Death god came to bring him away. He had no preparation so he just talked people to send him a little money, some paper and a suit before he died. (In Vietnam if you want to send something to dead you only need to fire them. Course, Things you fire are not real things, they are made of paper.)

When he arrived to the world of the dead he asked the servants to meet the Death god but they didn’t let him meet. He had to write a petition then gave it and all his money to the servants and asked them to send to Death god.

Short time later, the servants came back and brought him to meet Death god. He, that time, had a chance to present about the unfortunate thing his family met. At last, he asked:

“My god, why you do the unfair thing? Why people in my family only had short lives while a person belonging La family had a so long life, three hundred years and have no sign that he is going to die. Please, talk me why, god”, he said.

Death god had a little surprise he had never thought that his servants had done irresponsible thing like that but he was not satisfied as the person came and scolded him. He shouted:

“Nonsense. Nobody can have the long life like that. if you can prove I will let you come back the living world and if you can not you should prepare for your end, that will be the worst thing you can think”.

He was happy as he had the chance but it was very difficult to make La himself talk that he was three hundred years old. When the servants brought him to place where La sat to fish he caught an idea. He asked the servants to hide themselves then approached to La. He greeted him and asked:

“Sir, my grandfather said me that he has discovered a floating rock which have many holes and many colors, especially, many mosses grow on it that attracts many fish, coming and eating. Because of that, my grandfather has caught many and gets much money. But, now I can not find the floating rock I has followed along the river to come here and know that you used to fish here. Have you ever seen a floating rock crossing? Please, talk to me”.

“Nonsense. I have lived for three hundred years but I have never heard about a floating rock like that. Go away and don’t annoy me”, scolded the fisher.

He said goodbye and turned back to place where the servant hid themselves. They came back the world of the dead. Death god, now, admitted his word. He let him come back the living world. His family, from that time, had very few people who died early.

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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