Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/230

 OF SALVATION

When Zarathustra one day crossed the large bridge, cripples and beggars surrounded him, and a hunchback thus spake unto him :

"Behold, Zarathustra! Even the folk learn from thee and learn belief in thy teaching. But in order that they may believe thee entirely, one thing more is wanted first thou must persuade us cripples ! Here thou hast now a beautiful selection, and, verily, an opportunity with more than one forelock to catch it by. Thou mightest heal the blind and make the lame run, and thou mightest also perhaps take a little from him who hath too much behind him. That, I think, would be the proper way to make the cripples believe in Zarathustra ! "

But Zarathustra replied thus unto him who had spoken : " If one taketh the hunch from the hunch- back, one taketh his spirit away. Thus the folk teach. And if one giveth the blind one his eyes, he seeth too many bad things on earth, so that he curseth him who hath healed him. But he who maketh the lame one run, hurteth him sorely ; for just when he hath learnt to run, his vices run away with him. Thus

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