Posted by curious on March 30, 2000 at 08:23:49:
In Reply to: well, for those of us to buisy reading Tech manuals, and havent read Pratchet, it is funny anyway if you look at it from my perspective. nt posted by Grallon on March 30, 2000 at 06:55:50:
> > > REMIND ME AGAIN, HOW THE LITTLE HORSE-SHAPED ONES MOVE
> > >
> > > Have any of you seen Bill and Ted's bogus journey?
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> >
> > > How they play death for the chance to live?
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> >
> > > That is actually a historical belief...to some extent.
> >
> > Sure.
> >
> >
> > > In a number of cultures, around the world, life was seen as some sort of game against the power of death.
> >
> > Ok.
> >
> >
> > > In the middle ages, it was often thought that your life was basically a huge chess game with a real being called "death". Your life came to an end when death check-mated you.
> >
> > neat.
> >
> >
> > > The humor in this statement is that death, right before defeating you, is playing dumb, asking you to remind him how a chess piece moves...he is pretending to not know how to play just before he whomps your ass....hence the humor.
> >
> >
> > No, no, NO NO NO!
> >
> > The humor in this statement:
> >
> > Death tells you 'REMIND ME AGAIN, HOW THE LITTLE HORSE-SHAPED ONES MOVE'
> >
> > stems from it's use in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Specifically, the book Small Gods . I'll admit, this is the only book I've read in the series (so far) but in the entire series, Death is mentioned as a physical being, that greets people after they die. He always speaks in upper case. The aforementioned statement is a direct quote from Small Gods (and a hilarious one, I really suggest reading the book.)