One day, a famous magician foretold (预言) the death of a man. The man was the king's friend. The man did die on the day foretold. The king was angry. He said it was all because of the magician.
When the magician came to the palace, the king said, "You could foretell the death of my friend. Can you foretell the date of your own death?" "The magician was scared. He thought the king was going to kill him. After a while, he had an idea.
"Your Majesty," he said, "I cannot foretell the exact(确切的) date of my death, but I can foretell that I shall die one day before you. "This time, the king was scared. He asked the best doctors to take care of the magician and the strongest soldiers to protect him. He wanted the magician to live longer and longer.
