巴格达的一个商人派遣他的仆人到市场去采购食物。
不久，仆人回到家，浑身颤抖，告诉商人：“在那个集市上，我被一个人推搡，他身着黑袍，我知道他是死神。死神对我做了一个恐吓的手势，我知道我大限将至，但我不相信命运，也不相信死神。”
仆人借着商人的马，迅速地逃到距离巴格达约75英里的萨马拉。这么远的距离，仆人相信死神不会找到他。
商人随后来到集市，看见了仆人所说的身着黑袍的死神。
商人问死神：“你为什么要对我的仆人做出威胁的手势？”
死神回答说：“这不是一个威胁的手势，这只是一个让我惊喜的开始。我很惊讶地看到你的仆人在巴格达；我做那个手势的意思是：今晚我在萨马拉等着他的到来。”
There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions, and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned I saw it was Death that had jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.”
The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop, he went.
Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw Death disguised as a woman standing in the crowd, and he came to her and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?” “That was not a threatening gesture,” the woman said. “It was only an expression of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”