Firesong (Iain Sharp) posted this in alt.callahans.

It was another average day in Valhalla. The gods were feasting and the heroes were fighting, and dying, and being placed in the cauldron of everlasting life to be brought back to fight again. Valkyries were being both alluring and martial all over the place and all was generally loud and raucous.

“Me, I’m bored,” thundered Odin,”sod this for a game of warriors.”

“I know,” said Thor,”Lets go visit the Japanese gods for a nice game of Yahtzee, or something.”

“Oh, alright then,” said Odin.

So off they toddle and soon they arrive at the pagodas of the Japanese deities. They are welcomed and given tea and such by the geisha and shortly afterwards are seated by the side of the pool watching samurai in a duel (basically a home away from home).

Odin turns to the god nearest him and says, “Doesn’t this kind of fighting use up your quota of souls”

“Oh no,” says the god,”you see we watched you and your cauldron of everlasting life and we invented this.”. With this he leads them over to a large shallow circular pan with a handle on each side.

“When one of the samurai dies we put him in this and revive him.”

“Oh yes, we use the wok, we use the wok of life!”