Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/430

 THE SHADOW

When the voluntary beggar had hasted away and Zarathustra was again alone with himself, behind him he heard a new voice crying : " Halt ! Zarathustra ! Wait ! wait ! It is I, O Zarathustra, I, thy shadow ! " But Zarathustra waited not ; for a sudden annoyance seized him because of the great crowding and throng- ing in his mountains. "Whither hath my loneliness gone ?" he said.

"This, verily, is becoming too much for me. These mountains are overcrowded ; my kingdom is no longer of this world ; I need new mountains.

My shadow calleth me ? What matter for my shadow ? Let it run after me ! I run away from it."

Thus spake Zarathustra unto his heart and ran away. But he who was behind him, followed him, so that very soon three runners were on the way, one behind the other. For in the front was the volun- tary beggar, then followed Zarathustra, and the third and last was his shadow. Not long had they run, until Zarathustra came out of his folly and back unto reason, and of a sudden he shook off all annoyance and disgust.

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