George MacDonaldYou have tasted of death now, ” said the old man. “Is it good?” “It is good, ” said Mossy. “It is better than life.”“ No, ” said the old man: “it is only more life.
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”You have tasted of death now,†said the old man. “Is it good?†“It is good,†said Mossy. “It is better than life.â€â€œNo,†said the old man: “it is only more life.” The old man was a prisoner in a state prison. The guards brought a young man to see him and asked, “What is it you want?” He replied, “I want the same as you have – food, shelter and a little freedom – I have been here three years already and I would like to go home.” The guards laughed at him and gave him nothing but food to eat.
They laughed at him when he asked for his freedom and threw him into the stone cellar where he could not stand up straight. He was given no medicine because he was not sick enough to need any. He could not sleep because he had no blanket or mattress to lie on, but he could see the stars through the cracks in the ceiling.
At dawn they brought him out of his cell, drove him around the yard and slammed his hands against the walls; then they threw him back into his cell again. One day he saw three men come into the prison yard handcuffed together; one was bleeding from his nose and one from his ears; one had no teeth left in his head; but all three were laughing together as if there were no such thing as pain; as if there were no such thing as death; as if there was no such thing as hell or any other place where people suffered or got punished for their sins. This impressed upon this young man the difference between prison and freedom; so he waited until nightfall when they brought out another prisoner who was unshackled and allowed to walk around outside of his cell.
Then he went out again, but three soldiers were waiting for him on each side of the fence with guns pointed at his head; so he went back into his cell again. He waited until nightfall when they brought out another prisoner unshackled and allowed to walk around outside of his cell; then he went out again but three soldiers were waiting for him on each side of the fence with guns pointed at his head; so he went back into his cell again. But soon after this
Source: The Golden Key
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