When Dave Perkins was young, he played a lot of games, and he was thin and strong, but when he was forty-five, he began to get fat and slow. He was not able to breathe as well as before, and when he walked rather fast, his heart beat painfully.

He did not do anything about this for a long time, but finally he became anxious and went to see a doctor, and the doctor sent him to hospital. Another young doctor examined him there and said, 'I don't want to mislead you, Mr Perkins. You're very ill, and I believe that you are unlikely to live much longer. Would you like me to arrange for anybody to come and see you before you die?'

Dave thought for a few seconds and then he answered, 'I'd like another doctor to come and see me.'

هنگامي كه ديو پركينس جوان بود، او خيلي ورزش مي‌كرد، و لاغر و قوي بود، اما هنگامي كه چهل و پنج ساله شد، شروع به چاق شدن و تنبل شدن كرد. او قادر به نفس كشيدن مانند قبل نبود، و هنگامي كه مقداري تندتر حركت مي‌كرد، ضربان قلبش به سختي مي‌زد.

او براي مدت طولاني در اين باره كاري نكرد، اما در آخر نگران شد و به ديدن يك دكتر رفت، و دكتر او را به يك بيمارستان فرستاد. دكتر جوان ديگري او را در آنجا معاينه كرد و گفت: آقاي پركينس من نمي‌خواهم شما را فريب دهم. شما بسيار بيمار هستيد، و من معتقدم كه بعيد است شما مدت زمان زيادي زنده بمانيد. آيا مايل هستيد ترتيبي بدهم قبل از اينكه شما بميريد كسي به ملاقات شما بيايد؟