APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA
Somerset Maugham
There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his (1) servant to the 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 market-place, I (2) was jostled by a woman in the
crowd and when I turned, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She (3) looked at me
and made a threatening gesture. Please lend me your (4) 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 (5) and he dug his (6)
spurs into its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.
Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he (7) saw Death standing in
the crowd and he came to Death and said, “Why did you (8) make a threatening
gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” “That was not a threatening
gesture,” Death said. “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in
Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him (9) tonight in Samarra.”