A very old story — a servant tries to run away from Death, but Death is waiting for him
Original version available: read this lesson at B2/C1 level →
This is a very old story, told here in simple English. In this story, Death is a person. Read each part, then stop and talk about the questions. The end is a big surprise — read slowly and do not jump ahead.
A long time ago, in the city of Baghdad, there lived a rich merchant. One morning he sent his servant to the market to buy food.
Soon the servant came back. His face was white and he was shaking with fear.
"Master! In the market a woman pushed me in the crowd. When I looked at her, I saw it was Death! She looked at me and made a frightening sign with her hand."
The servant could hardly speak. He was very afraid.
The servant looked at his master and asked for help.
"Please, give me your horse. I will ride far away to the city of Samarra. There, Death will not find me."
The merchant was a kind man. He gave the servant his horse. The servant got on the horse and rode away very fast — as fast as the horse could go — toward Samarra.
He was sure of one thing: in Samarra, he was going to be safe.
Later that day, the merchant went to the market himself. He saw Death there, in the crowd. He walked up to her and asked a question.
"Why did you make a frightening sign at my servant this morning?"
Death answered him quietly.
"That was not a frightening sign. It was a look of surprise. I was surprised to see your servant here in Baghdad this morning — because tonight I have an appointment with him in Samarra."
So, by running away to Samarra, the servant rode straight to the place where Death was waiting for him.
Ten useful words. Tap each card to see what it means and an example sentence.
1. The servant was very ______ and his face was white. 2. The merchant gave the servant his ______. 3. Tonight Death has an ______ in Samarra.
We use will and going to to talk about the future. They are a little different.
will (+ verb) = a quick decision, a promise, or a prediction. "I will ride to Samarra." / "Death will not find me."
going to (am/is/are + going to + verb) = a plan you already have, or a prediction when you can see it coming. "In Samarra I am going to be safe." / "Death is going to find him."
Often both are correct. The most important thing is to use the future to talk about what has not happened yet.
1. "I ride to Samarra," said the servant. (ride)
2. "Death find me there." (not find)
3. "Give me your horse and I go far away." (go)
1. will ride 2. will not find (won't find) 3. will go
1. The servant thinks: "In Samarra I be safe." (be)
2. We know the truth: Death find the servant tonight. (find)
3. The horse is fast, so they arrive soon. (arrive)
1. am going to 2. is going to find 3. are going to arrive
This story is very short, but it surprises us at the end. Here is how it works.
For most of the story, we think the servant is clever. He runs away to be safe. Then, in the last lines, we learn the truth: Death was always going to meet him in Samarra. This surprise at the end is called a twist. It makes us think about the whole story again.
The servant runs away to be safe. But the place he runs to — Samarra — is exactly where Death is waiting. The thing he does to escape is the thing that traps him. The future he was trying to stop was always going to happen. We call this idea fate — something that will happen, and you cannot change it.
In real life, "death" is not a person. But in this story, Death is a woman in the market. She can look, move her hand, and even talk. When a writer makes an idea or feeling into a person like this, it makes the story feel real and a little frightening.
Do all three. Use the timer and try to keep talking. The sentence starters can help you begin.
Now tell the story again in your own words. Use short, simple sentences. Try to use four or five words from the Words tab, and tell the events in order.
These steps will help you: a servant sees Death in the market and is afraid · he borrows a horse and rides far away to Samarra · the merchant asks Death about the threat · Death says it was only surprise · Death had an appointment with the servant that night in Samarra.
Talk about your plans. What are you going to do tomorrow? What will you do next weekend? Use will and going to.
The servant tried to run away from his fate. Can people change the future? Or do some things always happen? Say what you think.