The Town Where It Was Forbidden to Die

In a small town in Italy, the people had a real problem. The old cemetery on the hill was completely full. There was no room left for anyone new. The town was small, the land was steep, and a new cemetery was not ready yet. The mayor had to do something, so he made a very strange decision.

Sa isang maliit na bayan sa Italy, may tunay na problema ang mga tao. Puno na nang husto ang lumang sementeryo sa burol. Walang natitirang lugar para sa sinuman pa. Maliit ang bayan, matarik ang lupa, at hindi pa handa ang bagong sementeryo. Kailangan gumawa ng paraan ang alkalde, kaya gumawa siya ng napaka-kakaibang desisyon.

The mayor signed an official order. The order told the people of the town that, from that day on, it was forbidden to die. Of course, no one can really follow such a rule. The mayor knew that too. It was his way of showing how serious the problem had become, and his way of asking the town for patience.

Pumirma ang alkalde ng opisyal na kautusan. Sinabi ng kautusan sa mga tao ng bayan na, mula sa araw na iyon, ipinagbabawal ang pagkamatay. Siyempre, walang talagang makasusunod sa ganitong tuntunin. Alam din iyon ng alkalde. Paraan lang niya ito ng pagpapakita kung gaano na kalubha ang problema, at paraan niya ng paghingi ng pasensya sa bayan.

When the people read the notice in the square, they laughed. They knew their mayor could not stop death, but they understood his message. The funny story did not stay in the town. Newspapers picked it up, and soon people all around the world were smiling at the little Italian town where, for a while, it was against the rules to die.

Nang mabasa ng mga tao ang abiso sa plasa, tumawa sila. Alam nilang hindi kayang pigilan ng kanilang alkalde ang kamatayan, pero naiintindihan nila ang kanyang mensahe. Hindi lang nanatili sa bayan ang nakakatawang kuwento. Kinuha ito ng mga peryodiko, at di-nagtagal ay nakangiti na ang mga tao sa buong mundo sa maliit na bayan sa Italy kung saan, sa maikling panahon, laban sa tuntunin ang pagkamatay.