There's a short story I read when I was a kid. I liked it immediately and never forgot it. The title of this post would have been the title of the story, but it kind of gives it away.
So here's the story: (it's paraphrased a bit. I have not read it since I was a kid, but I'm sure it can be easily found online)
A few centuries ago, there was a rich man who lived in Baghdad. He had many servants to handle all the duties to maintain his large dwelling. One morning he sent his servant to the marketplace to get supplies for the week. Only a short time passed before the servant came rushing back to the rich man.
White as a ghost and trembling greatly, the servant tells the rich man, "Please. Please, help me."
"What is the matter? Are you okay? What has happened?" the rich man asked.
"I went to the marketplace," the servant says, "and I saw Death. He turned and saw me and made a threatening gesture. Please, he has come for my soul and I need to escape. Please give me your fastest horse so I can flee to Samarra. I can be there before nightfall and hide there until he leaves."
The rich man saw how badly shaken his servant was, and having great care for him, agrees to provide the horse. The servant wastes no time in getting on the horse and fleeing to Samarra.
The rich man was perplexed why Death would make a threatening gesture to his servant so he immediately went to the marketplace to seek him out and question him. He wasn't there long before he saw Death among the crowd of people. Gathering up his courage, he walked over to confront Death.
"Earlier this morning, I sent my servant here," the rich man says, "and he returned to me very frightened. He told me he saw you and when you saw him, you made a gesture of threat against him. Why would you make a threatening gesture to my servant?"
"Oh, it wasn't a gesture of threat," Death tells the rich man. "It was merely gesture of surprise. You see I didn't expect to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."