Once upon a time there lived a very rich man. He had much wealth, much gold, everything… And he was very crafty. He even thought about himself as the craftiest man in the whole world.
But all the time the thought that he would die was torturing him. He was afraid of death very much – why was this wealth, why was this craftiness if one day he had to die, leave everything and go to the other world. What to do not to die?
He was thinking, thinking and finally he found out:
‘I will become a kinsman with God! I have a pretty daughter and he has a pretty son. If we become kinsmans God will have pity on me and won’t take me!’
He did as he said. He married his daughter to God’s son and they made a big wedding. They were eating, drinking and celebrating for months. Every time they proposed a toast the rich man asked:
‘God, kinsman, we already know each other better than brothers! Tell me that I won’t die!’
‘Your time has not come yet, - God answered, - but when it comes one day you will have to die! God treats everybody in the same way! Do not be in a hurry!’
But the rich man always thought: ‘He cannot refuse me – I will not die!’
The years passed and the rich man grew old. One day God came to his door and said:
‘Kinsman, come on, your time has come!’
‘Do not do it now, kinsman! – the rich man begged. – Leave me ten days more to take good bye with this world!’
God took pity on him and left him ten days. But what the rich man decided to do through these ten days: he took his gold and ran.
‘Woman, - he said – the kinsman has to take this thought out of his head!
‘What thought?’ – his wife asked.
‘The thought that I will die! He can not catch me! I will run away!’
He passed one mountain, two mountains… ran away. He reached a mill and entered it. He saw kegs there and hid inside. He said to himself:
‘The kinsman can not find me here!’
Then he took a bottle of rakia, poured some and continued:
‘Kinsman, let me see you now how you will have fun without me! You will regret and come to find me alive again on this world!’
As he was talking to himself he did not understand how some people came to grind the flour. They knocked on the door: ‘Chuk-chuk-chuk.’ The rich man thought it was God, got scared and died from a heart attack.
So, when God says something – whatever you do – you will not run away.