<p>"Work, Death, and Sickness" is a fascinating story by Russian author Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy written in 1903. The story takes the form of a parable about the creation of work, death, and sickness. Synopsis: When God first created man, he had no need to work, and he would always live to be exactly one hundred years old. God thought that this would allow humans to live in harmony, but such was not the case. They were solitary, they fought, and ...