Death came to take an old man's soul, but the man protested. "That's not fair! You should have given me a warning first. I need time to set my affairs in order."
"I gave you plenty of warnings," Death replied.
"But I've never laid eyes on you before."
"You saw me when I came for others," said Death. "And more than that: I gave you signs. Gray hair, bad eyes, stooped back, poor hearing. Those were all my messengers. If you ignored them, that is no fault of mine."
Memento mori: the time to prepare yourself is now, not later.
Inspired by: Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists by Roger L'Estrange, 350.
Notes: This fable is not part of the classical Aesop tradition; find out more here.
Here is an illustration by Grandville:
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