A certain man fell sick and took to his bed. He consulted a number of doctors from time to time, and they all, with one exception, told him that his life was in no immediate danger, but that his illness would probably last a considerable time. The one who took a different view of his case, who was also the last to be consulted, bade him prepare for the worst: “You have not twenty-four hours to live,” said he, “and I fear I can do nothing.” As it turned out, however, he was quite wrong; for at the end of a few days the sick man quitted his bed and took a walk abroad, looking, it is true, as pale as a ghost. In the course of his walk he met the Doctor who had prophesied his death. “Dear me,” said the latter, “how do you do? You are fresh from the other world, no doubt. Pray, how are our departed friends getting on there?” “Most comfortably,” replied the other, “for they have drunk the water of oblivion, and have forgotten all the troubles of life. By the way, just before I left, the authorities were making arrangements to prosecute all the doctors, because they won't let sick men die in the course of nature, but use their arts to keep them alive. They were going to charge you along with the rest, till I assured them that you were no doctor, but a mere impostor.”
有一个人病倒在床，时不时地会找些医生来咨询，所有的医生除了一个以外，全都告诉病人的妻子，他的病并不危险，但是他的病却一时治不好，得熬上一段日子。而那个例外的，总是最后一个被问到，他总是让病人做好最坏的打算。“你活不过二十四小时了，恐怕我无能为力。”可是，他却说错了。过了些天，病人已经康复，能够下床走路，尽管身体虚弱，面无血色。就在他散步的时候碰上了一直说他要死的医生。医生问：“先生，你怎么样啊？你肯定是刚从另一个世界回来。我们那些离世的朋友在那边过得如何啊？”病人回答：“都挺好的，他们都喝了忘川的水，忘掉了生活中的所有烦恼。顺便说一句，就在我临走的时候，管事的神同意要把所有的医生都处死，因为他们让病人无法自然死亡，却使用手段让他们活着。他们本打算把你和其他医生一起带走的，是我说服他们，让他们相信你根本不是个医生，而是个骗子。”