How an old man waited for death

In honour of an upcoming family reunion in Estonia, this week will refer to sample Estonian folk tales;

There was once a farmer who had many children. Time passed and his sons and daughters were all married, and the oldest son and his wife waited for him to give them his farm. But the old man was still strong and had no wish to give up farming.

Still, he did have thoughts of death and knew that sooner or later the farm would pass into his son's hands.

So off he went to see a sage and learn from him how many years of life were left to him.

The sage looked at the old man and said :

"You'll know your death has come when you have sneezed three times."

Much saddened, the old man went off home. On he walked and all he thought about was how to keep from sneezing.

He had only just come into his own front yard ,when he suddenly felt a tickling in his nose and gave a great sneeze!

"O Heavens me, I've only two more sneezes left! " sighed the old man.

On the following day he went to the mill to grind grain. The dust there got into his nose and he sneezed again.

"There is nothing to be done! " sighed the old man. "I have one last sneeze left and then my end will come."

And out he ran from the mill so as not to sneeze for the third and last time. But the flour was ready and had to be taken away. So back he came inside again, threw the sack of flour over his shoulder and made for the door.

By that time his nose was full of dust and the old man felt that he was going to sneeze. He tried not to but could not stop himself.

"A-tishoo! " went he.

"O Heavens me, here am I dead! " sighed the old man, and, dropping his sack, stretched himself out on the ground.

Seeing the sack of flour, the miller's hogs came running up and began tearing at it.

The old man looked at them and sighed.

"You villains you! " thought he. "Were I alive I'd have shown you, but what can a dead man do! "

Just then the miller came out into the yard. What was his surprise when he saw the hogs tearing at the sack of flour while its owner lay there and did nothing.

"What are you doing? " asked he.

Said the old man in reply:

"Why, just lying here, of course! What else can I do now that I'm dead? Were I alive I'd have driven off your hogs. Do me a favour, will you, and drive them off for me."

The miller was more surprised than ever.

"Oh, so you're dead! " said he. "How very sad that is."

He took a whip and began flogging the hogs and he sent the whip flying over the old man's back, too.

Up jumped the old man from the ground.

"Thank you for bringing me back to life," said he. "If it weren't for you I'd be dead still."

With this he heaved the sack of flour on to a wagon and drove home. And he won't hear about dying to this day!

Comments

[Tammie]

I had a good chuckle over this one, thank you!
so fun the illusion of all our stories. The stories come, they go, who are we in each moment, what does our spirit share.... this is of value.

[Liara Covert]

Tammie, the ability to remember how to laugh at and with the self is therapeutic and some even say, indispensable.

[Hilary]

Hi Liara .. I too laughed .. thanks for sharing -
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

[soulMerlin]

Hi Liara ~ I have seen a similar TV film...The film involved an old man who died and who got up the next morning for his breakfast (even though he was dead). He continued to do the same each day, until the family, fed up with the flies that were invading the house, went to the local 'mystic' for help.

They were instructed to lace his breakfast the next morning - with pepper...

...not understanding, but trusting in the mystic's advice, they duly went home and next morning, prepared the old man's breakfast. Sure enough, on the dot of 7am, they heard the sound of his footsteps coming down the stairs...

...The old man sat down and tucked into the food, even though he had been dead for at least a week. The family sat, waiting for the mystic's plan to take effect. Nothing happened for a while...

...and then the pepper took effect...

...and he let out one enormous sneeze...

...and blew his nose off.

The old man looked at his nose, lying on the table and with a loving goodbye, he climbed the stairs and lay down for the last time.

He had accepted.

Together with your story, the message for me is to accept death when it arrives, but to live life to the full and dilute the joy of living by premature fears and anticipation of the moment of passing over.

To experience the process and be one with it - and not try to second-guess it.

I hope you're well

love

henry

[Liara Covert]

Hilary, Estonian culture is full of gentle reminders to trigger laughter. Glad to expose you to something new.

[Liara Covert]

Henry, I love the story you so kindly share. Many human beings are in denial or, unaware of the blessings of where they are at a given moment. When you prefer to be where you are not, you do not take advantage of where you are. Mortality offers its own pearls of wisdom. During physical life or apparent death, some people still do not get that where they are is meant to stretch and enrich them. A person chooses to be aware or not. To awaken is to be receptive.

[soulMerlin]

Dear Liara - Your answer to my comment contains a pearl:

"When you prefer to be where you are not, you do not take advantage of where you are."

:)

xhenry

[Liara Covert]

henry, to savor where you are is to choose to be present, in moment and value what the universe is teaching you. I have done this when I have missed travel conections. When you miss connections and a schedule is shifted, so is a much wider perspective. To find meaning where you are is to consciously stop wishing you are elsewhere. I went through four countries in the last day or so. Its tempting to focus on the destination or to wish you are where you are not. As you shift consciousness to the moment, you experience something completely new and refreshing. Whether or not you get there from here matters less that appreciating who you are right now. Do UC it?