The Two Men Who Were Enemies

Summary

The narrative presents a tale of two men who harbor deep animosity towards each other, finding themselves aboard the same ship during a perilous storm. Despite their mutual enmity, they are forced to coexist as they take seats at opposite ends of the vessel—the stern and the prow—in an attempt to maintain distance. When faced with the threat of the ship sinking, one man reveals his hatred by expressing a morbid wish for his enemy's demise even if it means his own death. This story explores themes of enmity, the consuming nature of hatred, and how it can lead individuals to prioritize personal grudges over their own well-being, highlighting the destructive power of animosity.

Read Online

Two Men, deadly enemies to each other, were sailing in the same vessel. Determined to keep as far apart as possible, the one seated himself in the stem, and the other in the prow of the ship. A violent storm arose, and with the vessel in great danger of sinking, the one in the stern inquired of the pilot which of the two ends of the ship would go down first. On his replying that he supposed it would be the prow, the Man said, “Death would not be grievous to me, if I could only see my Enemy die before me.”