The Wood-Cutter and the Angel of Death

A wood-cutter was carrying a heavy load of wood to the market on his back. The road was long and hard, and when he grew weary he let the bundle down and threw himself to the ground, crying bitterly, "O Death, come to me now!"

Immediately the Angel of Death appeared and asked, "Why have you summoned me?"

Frightened, the man asked meekly, "Please, could you help me get up and put this load back on my shoulders?

Moral: Even though life has its griefs, man prefers a life of wretchedness to death.

The Angel Of Death

He has wings full of eyes and a heart full of dust. He is Hellboy's personal Angel of Death in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and I just know what many Goths are going to top their Christmas trees with this year.

I found this action figure at Hastings this Saturday and bought it for $24.99. It was produced by Mezco (www.mezcotoyz.com). It stands 8 and 1/2 inches high, with an extended wingspan of 14 inches. The main body and head consists of one sturdy hollow modeled cone; the arms are articulated at the shoulders, and the wings (which were unattached in the packaging box) go in the back on a hinged peg.

I love winged action figures; they've got presence. But they are hard to store without some bending to the wings occurring, and then they're darn hard to straighten out, if you can at all. Also where the wings attach is a fragile part, sustaining a lot of weight, and that is where breaking is most likely to happen. The best way to store is constant display, if you have the room, but who always does?