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.

Katika mji mdogo nchini Italia, watu walikuwa na tatizo halisi. Makaburi ya zamani kwenye kilima yalikuwa yamejaa kabisa. Hapakuwa na nafasi tena kwa mtu yeyote mpya. Mji ulikuwa mdogo, ardhi ilikuwa mwinuko, na makaburi mapya hayakuwa tayari bado. Meya alipaswa kufanya jambo, hivyo alifanya uamuzi wa ajabu sana.

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.

Meya alitia saini amri rasmi. Amri hiyo iliwaambia watu wa mji kwamba, kuanzia siku hiyo, ilikuwa marufuku kufa. Bila shaka, hakuna anayeweza kweli kufuata kanuni kama hiyo. Meya alijua hilo pia. Ilikuwa njia yake ya kuonyesha jinsi tatizo lilivyokuwa kubwa, na njia yake ya kuomba mji uwe na subira.

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.

Watu waliposoma tangazo hilo uwanjani, walicheka. Walijua meya wao hangeweza kuzuia kifo, lakini walielewa ujumbe wake. Hadithi hiyo ya kuchekesha haikubaki mjini humo tu. Magazeti yaliichukua, na hivi karibuni watu duniani kote walikuwa wakitabasamu kuhusu mji mdogo wa Italia ambao, kwa muda, ilikuwa kinyume cha sheria kufa.