There was a young man on the run from the law, who wound up in rural Appalachia. He managed to build himself a shelter in the woods, but he didn't know anything about hunting or farming. He didn't dare go into town, for fear that someone would recognize him. So, every morning, he'd hike up to his nearest neighbor, who was an elderly woman who never left her house.
He wasn't a bad guy, actually, and he didn't want to steal from her. So he'd knock on the door, and ask to borrow a little something to eat.
Now, the old lady had a small garden, where she grew spices. She had a little extra of one particular spice, and she liked the company, so every morning she'd give the young man something from her garden. They'd sit and talk, and then he'd take the spice back home and eat it.
The young man was sad, because he knew this couldn't go on. Sooner or later the police would find him, and he'd never quite managed to explain to the old lady that what he really needed was food. He knew...
...that he was living on borrowed thyme.
(groan)
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