História da Tia Miséria

"Tia Miseria lives alone in a village and owns nothing but a tree.
The fruits from this tree are very good and all the children in the village have the habit of climbing the tree and stealing all the fruit. Tia Miseria of course hates this and always tries to scare them away but it's of no use.

One evening someone knocks on her door and asks for a place to spend the night. Despite her poverty, Tia Miseria gives this man her last piece of bread and gives him her only bed and blanket to sleep. To thank her for her kindness grants her one wish, anything she'd like. She immediately takes him outside to her tree and asks that anyone who climbs up may only come down when she says so. The wish is granted. When the children climb the tree and start stealing the fruit she doesn't let them down until they've promised not to steal any more fruits from her.

One evening someone else knocks on the door. It's Death. Tia Miseria doesn't want to die. She bargains all night until Death tells her that no matter what she says or does she cannot avoid the inevitable. Tia Miseria asks for only one last wish: a fruit from her tree. Since she is too old to climb the tree she asks Death to get it for her. And Death gets stuck up on the tree.

Nobody can die and people suffer endlessly. Everyone gets to old. Everyone ask Tia Miseria to release Death and finally says she will only let Death go if Death promises her never to take her.

The promise is kept and that is the reason why Death and Misery (Miseria) still walk together in the world."

(Não da minha autoria)