The man who sat in a tavern

 A man sits in a tavern in Damascus. He observes a shadow in his wine and looks up to see Death floating above him, his eyes fixated on his drink. There is something in Death's eyes that betray shock. He is frightful and yells, "This cannot be the end!"

To save himself, he leaves the inn to find a horse stable. After picking out a carefully groomed raven-haired horse, he flees Damascus. He is swift with his horse and rides all the way through the desert of Samarra.

When he arrives at the other end, his throat is parched. He scours the land around him for a well. And there, standing before him at the well is Death. The man sees him and is close to dizzy. With every ounce of energy left in his body, he cries faintly, "This cannot be. I fled from you in Damascus!"

So Death lays his hand on the shoulder of the dying man and whispers, "I was surprised to see you in Damascus too, you know."

"Why?"

"Because... because my engagement with you was always meant to be here in Samarra."

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. Jean de La Fontaine.