Tale of love

A young man wanted to get married. Brutal death stands before him:

 " on your wedding day, she says, you'll die. " 

The young man winced. He does not say anything. He goes, he arrives at the foot of Mount Pletchna. Up there, seated on his aerial throne, an old man with a long white beard appears, his scepter in his hand. Her face is bright. He asks :

 " My boy, why are you here? where are you going ? " 

 " Me, said the young man, I'm running away from death " 

The old man reflects, he nods his head, rubs his beard, and turns to the young man:

 Believe me, no one yet has managed to escape this horrible plague. But, listen, it is I who hold the power to cut the thread of life, it is I who say: Take the soul of such and such, that such and such have a short life, such a long life . " 

• But who are you, Bab?
• They call me Time
• If you have such power in your hands, Bab, I throw myself at your feet, deliver me, you see that I am a young boy, full of desires, why does death make me such a villainy, -I am doing ?

The old man feels sorry for himself and says:

 »Since she scared you, and you fled, be a wanderer, now go, a hundred paces from here, to the right under a wild plum tree, a clear spring flows like a crane's eye, go, drink this water, your fear will vanish and patience you will acquire, go your way! God be with you, go! " 

The young man kisses the old man's hands, thanks him, goes to drink the water which dispels his fear and makes him patient. He sets off, he walks, he walks… He arrives in a town by the sea, he works there for several years, he earns a lot of money, he returns to his village.

As soon as he entered his house, suddenly death stood before him.

•  " You ran away, eh? But who can tear themselves from my hands? Come on, give me your soul! " 

The mother throws herself between them:

 " My young child, she says, why do you want to kill him? If you want a soul, take mine! " 

Death takes away his soul from his feet to his throat. The mother can't stand the pain, she says:

 " Ah! Ah! Don't take my soul! " 

The father throws himself between them:

 " My only son, the pillar and the light of my house, do not kill him, if you want a soul, take mine! " 

Death withdraws his soul from him, from his knees to the tip of his tongue. The father can't stand the pain, he says:

 "  By the grace of your sun, do not take my soul! " 

So the boy said:

 " I don't blame them, they wanted to share my fault.

Since you came, come, let's go to my fiancee, if she doesn't want to give her soul, then, against my will, you will take mine. " 

They go to the bride's house. When the young girl sees them, she does not care about death, she runs, she hugs her beloved, she kisses him passionately, she embraces him, it looks like they are just a soul and that a body.

 " Hello, says death, that's enough ! my time is running out. What's your decision now? " 

• What do you want ? asks the young girl.
• The soul of the boy.
• Don't take hers, take mine!

Death withdraws his soul from his fingernails to the ends of his hair. The girl says:

 " Why are you torturing me? If you want my soul, take it all at once! Only before you take it let me kiss my fiance one more time

Death takes the soul of the young girl, but she is very astonished, she looks at the boy, she looks at the girl… Her heart softens, she gives him back her soul, she leaves them and goes away.

The engaged couples, overflowing with joy, return home. They make the wedding for three days and three nights, they make their wishes come true.

Three apples fell from the sky, one for the bride, one for the groom and one for the old man with the white beard who was, is and will be until the end of the world. Amen.