Two men waiting at the Pearly Gates strike up a conversation.

"How''d you die?"

"I froze to death."

"How does it feel to freeze to death?"

"It''s very uncomfortable at first. But eventually, it''s a very calm
way to go. How about you, how did you die?"

"I had a heart attack. My wife was cheating on me, so one day I showed
up at home unexpetedly. I ran up to the bedroom, and found her alone.

I ran down to the basement, but no one was hiding there, either. I ran
up to the second floor, but no one was hiding there either.

I ran as fast as I could to the attic, and just as I got there, I had
a heart attack and died."

"If you had only stopped to look in the freezer, we''d both still be
alive."

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<> strike up a conversation : 대화를 시작하다
<> Pearly Gates : 천국의 12문
<> freeze to death : 얼어죽다
<> eventually : 종국에는
<> attic : 다락방

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천당 어귀에서 기다리고 있는 두 사람의 대화.

"어떻게 죽었어요?"

"얼어죽었답니다"

"얼어죽을때 기분이 어떻던가요?"

"처음엔 아주 고약해요. 그러나 나중엔 아주 평옹해져요. 당신은 어떻게
죽었나요?"

"심장마비로요. 마누라가 부정을 일삼기에 어느날 불쑥 집에 가봤어요.
침실로 뛰어가 봤더니 마누라가 혼자 있더라구요. 지하실로 뛰어내려갔으나
숨어있는 사람은 없었어요. 2층으로 뛰어올라갔지만 아무도 없었어요. 기를
쓰고 다락방으로 뛰어올라갔는데 거기서 심장마비를 일으켜 죽었습니다"

"당신 냉장고를 들여다봤어야지. 그랬다면 우리 두사람은 아직 살아있을게
아뇨"

( 한 국 경 제 신 문 2000년 1월 13일자 ).