Worse than a Curse

Worse than a Curse

 

Once upon a time, the Elves and the Dwarves waged magical battle upon each other. The war ended when the combatants branded the land with this deadly curse: that anyone who dwells there 200 years shall die in agony. The immortal Elves and Dwarves dared not stay on the cursed land, so they all fled.

But mortal Men had no fear of the curse, for they died before 200 years anyhow. The Men stayed on the land, and thrived even better than before the war, due to the absence of Elves and Dwarves.

To the Men, Elves and Dwarves were worse than a curse.

 

Moral: You might not be missed.

 

Comment: I write this with the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in mind. It is now too radioactive for human habitation, but it’s home to a thriving wildlife population. They’re radioactive but they’re free from humankind. To them we’re worse than radiation.