| |
THUS TO ZARATHUSTRA:
`THIS WANDERER IS NO STRANGER TO ME: HE PASSED BY HERE MANY YEARS AGO. HE WAS CALLED ZARATHUSTRA; BUT HE HAS CHANGED.
`THEN YOU CARRIED YOUR ASHES TO THE MOUNTAINS: WILL YOU TODAY CARRY YOUR FIRE INTO THE VALLEYS? DO YOU NOT FEAR AN INCENDIARY'S PUNISHMENT?
`YES, I RECOGNIZE ZARATHUSTRA. HIS EYES ARE CLEAR, AND NO DISGUST LURKS ABOUT HIS MOUTH. DOES HE NOT GO ALONG LIKE A DANCER?
`HOW CHANGED ZARATHUSTRA IS! ZARATHUSTRA HAS BECOME -- A CHILD, AN AWAKENED-ONE: WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW WITH THE SLEEPERS?
`YOU LIVED IN SOLITUDE AS IN THE SEA, AND THE SEA BORE YOU. ALAS, DO YOU WANT TO GO ASHORE? ALAS, DO YOU WANT AGAIN TO DRAG YOUR BODY YOURSELF?'
ZARATHUSTRA ANSWERED: `I LOVE MANKIND.'
`WHY,' SAID THE SAINT, `DID I GO INTO THE FOREST AND THE DESERT? WAS IT NOT BECAUSE I LOVED MANKIND ALL TOO MUCH?
`NOW I LOVE GOD: MANKIND I DO NOT LOVE. MAN IS TOO IMPERFECT A THING FOR ME. LOVE OF MANKIND WOULD DESTROY ME.'
ZARATHUSTRA ANSWERED, `WHAT DID I SAY OF LOVE? I AM BRINGING MANKIND A GIFT.'
`GIVE THEM NOTHING,' SAID THE SAINT. `RATHER TAKE SOMETHING OFF THEM AND BEAR IT WITH THEM -- THAT WILL PLEASE THEM BEST; IF ONLY IT BE PLEASING TO YOU!
`AND IF YOU WANT TO GIVE TO THEM, GIVE NO MORE THAN AN ALMS, AND LET THEM BEG FOR THAT!'
`NO,' ANSWERED ZARATHUSTRA, `I GIVE NO ALMS. I AM NOT POOR ENOUGH FOR THAT.'
THE SAINT LAUGHED AT ZARATHUSTRA AND SPOKE THUS:
`SEE TO IT THAT THEY ACCEPT YOUR TREASURES! THEY ARE MISTRUSTFUL OF HERMITS, AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE COME TO GIVE.
`OUR STEPS RING TOO LONELY THROUGH THEIR STREETS. AND WHEN AT NIGHT THEY HEAR IN THEIR BEDS A MAN GOING BY LONG BEFORE THE SUN HAS RISEN, THEY PROBABLY ASK THEMSELVES: WHERE IS THAT THIEF GOING?
`DO NOT GO TO MEN, BUT STAY IN THE FOREST! GO RATHER TO THE ANIMALS! WHY WILL YOU NOT BE AS I AM -- A BEAR AMONG BEARS, A BIRD AMONG BIRDS?'
`AND WHAT DOES THE SAINT DO IN THE FOREST?' ASKED ZARATHUSTRA.
THE SAINT ANSWERED: `I MAKE SONGS AND SING THEM, AND WHEN I MAKE SONGS, I LAUGH, WEEP, AND MUTTER: THUS I PRAISE GOD.
`WITH SINGING, WEEPING, LAUGHING, AND MUTTERING I
|
|
|