Deaths knowledge

Remember to beware
when you join the woe
and you draw your last air
death must not know
what is in your care.

Summary

A child is standing in dense fog, confused at how they got there, and having difficulty breathing in. They notice a figure standing nearby and call to them. The figure starts speking: "Don't worry about the fog, it will pass soon. While we wait, why don't you tell me about yourself and what you know."

With nothing better to do the child begins to tell the tale of how they had just visited a friend and how they had talked about an odd book lying on the common room table. They couldn't help themselves and peeked inside.

The figure interjected calmly with a question: "What did you see inside?"

The child, now suspicious of the figures interest in the book decided it best to not tell the truth. "Nothing we understood, some scribbles and writing."

The figure started moving away, disappearing into the fog, muttering: "If only the children were taught better."

The fog began to lift, and the child could now see where they stood, in the common room. The looked down, onto their own body splayed and with the head bloody where it had hit the table and their friend shouting for help. In this moment the child shuddered for they knew they had just told death a lie.

Historical Basis

The origin of the story is as muddied as the old northern swamps. Some say it came to be as a way to subtly tell children to not reveal secrets, while a conspiracy story tells us that it was created to serve as a warning against the Wardens of Knowledge, which they profusely deny.