nge against the court jester. He planned and connived unt!
             il he could not think any longer, and he came up with a plan. He plotted to put poison into the king's water and blame the court jester. When the moment arrived, he stoutly stopped the king from drinking the water and gave it to a dog at the table. The dog dropped immediately. He then claimed that he saw the court jester put poison into the cup. The king, enraged, proclaimed the immediate beheading of the court jester. Fortunately, his sense returned and he told the court jester, "You have given me many years of great service. Although you now make me sad, I cannot forget the times you have made me laugh. Therefore, I allow you the option to choose your method of death." The court jester, sad for himself and the king, began to ponder his method of death. The entire hall stood still as the seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes turned to hours. Finally, the court jester slowly looked into the eyes of his king and said, "My dear king, though it pains me to have you think I h!
             ave plotted against you, I am grateful that you have the kindness to choose my own death. Therefore, sire, I wish to die of old age."
             So you can imagine how I thought about this man afterwards. He knew he was going to die, yet he was absolutely resolute that if he was, he was going to die with some dignity. I've often asked myself if there is a good way to die. Well, maybe I'm stretching the truth for its dramatic sake, but when I really think about the issue, I really do want to die in a peaceful, serene setting. I don't want to be plagued by disease, hurt, and I don't want to know that I'm causing great pains for my family and friends. In the end, I want to die of old age. Fortunately for the court jester, I suspect that the king saw his folly and granted the court jester his wish. For others, some diagnosed with cancer or aids, others in comas, ...