Zarathustra came down from the mountain alone, and no one would meet him.
But when he came into the forest, he suddenly found an old man standing in front of him.
He said to zarathustra:
"This traveler, I have a side with him: he passed here many years ago.
His name is zarathustra;
But he has changed now.
Then you carry your ashes up the mountain.
Will you bring your fire into the valley now?
Aren't you afraid of being punished by a firebug?
Yes, I recognize zarathustra.
His eyes were pure, and his lips showed no detestation.
Did he not advance like a dancer?
Zarathustra has changed;
He became a child;
Zarathustra is a waking man: what are you going to do in the sleeping crowd now?
Well, do you want to land now?
Alas, when you live alone, as in the sea, the sea carries you.
Do you want to carry the burden of your body?"
Zarathustra replied, "I love mankind."
"Why," said the sage, "have I escaped into this forest and solitude?
Isn't it because I loved people so much?
Now I love god: I don't love people.
I think people are too incomplete.
Human love could have destroyed me."
"Give them nothing!
"Said the sage.
Don't give them more than you want to give to beggars.
And let them ask of you."
"No," replied zarathustra, "I will do nothing. I am not so poor."
The sage began to laugh at zarathustra, and said, "then try to make them accept your treasures!
They don't trust the lonely, they don't trust us to give.
To their ears, the sound of our footsteps in the street was too lonely.
As they lay in bed at night and heard a man walking before sunrise, they asked themselves, where is the thief going?
Don't go into the crowd, stay in the forest!
Give me back to the herd.
Bears belong to bears and birds to birds -- why don't you want to be like me?"
"What does the sage do in the forest?"
"Asked zarathustra.
The sage answered, "I make odes and sing them.
When I make music, I laugh, I cry, I murmur, I praise god this way.
I praise my god with songs, cries, laughter and murmurings.
But what did you bring us?"
When zarathustra had heard these words, he saluted the sage and said, "what gift can I give you?
Please let me go quickly, then I won't take anything from you!"
So they -- the sage and the traveller -- said good-bye to each other, and laughed like two children.
Zarathustra was walking alone, and he said to his heart, "is it possible?
The old sage is in his forest and has not heard that god is dead!"
15012858052
153688106
