Death was sitting with his friends Pestilence, War and Famine. He was complaining about being tired. He needed a holiday. He was considering not killing anyone for a while.

“I’m tired. It’s getting to be a real hassle today. Not like it use to be. The Huns would sack some city and I go in and take twenty thousand at a time. Boy, the Plague was great. I could get an entire village in one fell swoop.”

“Yea, Death , those were the good old days. Not like now”, Pestilence remarked.

“Listen to you! If you were up to snuff, as they say , I wouldn’t have to hustle so much.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault they keep coming up with cures for stuff. They almost cure stuff as fast as I deliver it. If you would kill a few more researchers this wouldn’t be happening”, Pestilence retorted.

“I have to admit I’m slipping on the job”, Famine said. “How was I to know those Canadians, Aussies, and American farmers would make more food that they could eat? If the world ever figures out how to get the food from where it is to where it needs to be, I’m a goner.”

They all laughed at that thought. Not in a million years.

War hadn’t spoken up yet. He seemed quiet. Where were the Hordes, the Barbarians, the Napoleons today? Yea, there were still wars breaking out but nothing like the old days. Nothing like The World Wars. War thought giving the A-bomb would get things really rolling. It didn’t. No one wanted to use it.

“Boy, just think. A bunch of nukes going off and you could clean up, Death”, War told him.

“Yea, I could. Of course, then we’d have nothing left but cockroaches. Not much fun doing a number on them”, Death replied.

“Yea, I get your point”, Pestilence said. “I’ve used them from time to time and they give me the creeps.”

“Okay, guess it’s about time for us to get back to work. Wouldn’t want to spoil this world”, Death announced.

They all agreed on that.