Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/424

 39O THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, IV

And apparently all of them had turned their heads unto the speaker.

Then Zarathustra eagerly hurried up and pushed the animals aside. For he feared that unto some one harm had been done, which could scarcely be cured by the pity of cows. But therein he erred. For, behold, there sat a man on the ground and seemed to persuade the animals not to be shy of him, a peaceful man and mount -preacher, out of whose eyes kindness itself preached. "What seekest thou here?" exclaimed Zarathustra astonished.

"What I seek here?" the man answered. "The same thing as thou seekest, thou disturber ! I.e., happiness on earth !

For that purpose I would fain learn from these cows. For dost thou know ? Already half the morn- ing I have been addressing them ; and now they were on the point of giving me their answer. Why dis- turbest thou them ?

If we do not turn and become like the cows, we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. For we should learn from them one thing : to ruminate.

And, verily, if man were to gain "the whole world and would not learn the one thing, to ruminate of what good would it be ? He would not get rid of his affliction !

Of his great affliction. But that to-day is called loathing- ! Whose heart, mouth, and eyes are not

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