Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/387

 CONVERSATION WITH THE KINGS

��Zarathustra had not yet been an hour on his way through his mountains and forests, when all at once he saw a strange procession. Even on the way by which he was going down, there came two kings, adorned with crowns and purple belts, and many- coloured, like flamingo-birds. The kings drove in front of them an ass with a burden. "What do these kings want in my kingdom ? " Zarathustra in aston- ishment said unto his heart, and hid quickly behind a bush. But when the kings came close unto him, he said with a half voice, like one who speaketh only unto himself : " Strange ! Strange ! How accordeth this ? Two kings I see, and one ass only ! "

Then the two kings stopped, smiled, gazed in the direction of the spot whence the voice came, and then looked into each other's faces. "Such things are thought among us also, it is true," said the king on the right side, "but one doth not say them."

But the king on the left side shrugging his shoulders said : " He will probably be a goat-herd. Or a hermit 2 A 353

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