Page:Karl Gjellerup - The Pilgrim Kamanita - 1911.djvu/226

 prisoner with his back against a fence and shooting my arrows at him in such a way that, after he had stepped aside, the whole outline of his body was indicated exactly by the arrows sticking in the fence—and that, at a greater distance? Am I not accustomed with my arrow to bring down from the sky the eagle in full flight? Whatever is the matter with my hand to-day?"

Meanwhile the ascetic had gained a considerable start, and I began to run after him in order to kill him with my spear. But when I had come to within a distance of about fifty paces from him I didn't gain another step, although I ran with all my might and although the ascetic seemed but to be pacing quite leisurely onward.

Then I said to myself, "Of a truth, this is the most wonderful thing of all. Have I not overtaken frightened elephants and fleeing deer? And now I cannot, running with all my might, overtake this ascetic, going forward at his leisure. What is the matter with my feet to-day?"

And I stopped and called to him—

"Stand still, ascetic! Stand still!"

But he paced quietly on and called back—

"I am standing still, Angulimala! Stand thou also still!"'

Whereat I was again much astonished, and thought: "Plainly this ascetic has, by some Rite of Truth, baffled my archery; by some Rite of Truth, my running. How can he then utter a manifest untruth and assert that he is standing still while he is, as a matter of fact, walking, and demand that I should stand still, although he sees perfectly well that I am already standing as still as this tree. So might the flying goose say to the oak: 'I am standing still, oak! Stand thou also still!' Of a surety, there must be something behind all this.