走れメロス
By 太宰治
A young shepherd named Melos, condemned by a tyrant king, is given three days to go home for his sister's wedding while his friend Selinuntius waits in his place as hostage. Dazai Osamu's short story of 1940, adapted from Schiller's ballad, follows his race back through flood and bandits to keep his word.
Summary written with Claude Sonnet 5.5.