J. F. Campbell Collection > Household stories

476
GRIMM S HOUSEHOLD STORIES.
complained by day and could get no rest at night. " I sli.iU not die,"
he said to himself, " for Death must first send his messengers ; but I
wish these terrible days of illness were over!"
By-and-by he did get well again, and began to live as usual. One
day somebody knocked at the window, and looking round he saw Death
standing behind him, who said, " Follow me, the hour is come for your
departure from the world."
" How so ?" exclaimed the ]Man ; " will j'ou break the promise that
you made to me to send your messengers before you came yourself? I
have seen none."
" Be silent," replied Death ; " have I not sent you one messenger
after another? — did not fever come and seize you, shake you, and lay
you prostrate? — did not a giddiness oppress your head? — had you not
gout in all your limbs? — did not a singing noise injure your ears? — had
not you lumbago in your back? — a film over your eyes? — Above all,
did not my dear half-brother. Sleep, remind you of me every night when
you laid down, as if you were already dead?"
The ]\Ian knew not what to reply to all this, and surrendering him-
self therefore to his fate he followed Death.
MASTER COBBLERSAWL.
Master Cobblersawl was a small, meagre, but very active man, who
had no rest in him. His face, whose only prominent feature was a
turned-up nose, was seamed and deadly pale ; his hair was grey and
rough ; his eyes small, but they peered right and left in a piercing way.
He observed everything, found fault with everything, knew everything
better, and did it better, than any one else, in his own estimation. When
he walked in the streets he swung his two arms about in such a hasty
fashion, that once he knocked the pail which a girl was carrying so