Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/449

 THE SUPPER 415

" Including dying from thirst," the fortune-teller went on. "And although I hear water gurgle here, like speeches of wisdom, i.e., abounding and never tired I want wine !

Not every one is a born water-drinker like Zarathus- tra. Neither is water good for weary and withered ones. For us wine is proper. Only it giveth us a sudden vigour and health there and then ! "

Whereupon, when the fortune-teller asked for wine, it came to pass that the king on the left, the silent one, for once had a chance to speak. "Wine," he Said, "hath been provided by us, by myself and my brother, the king on the right. We have enough of wine, a whole ass-ful. So nothing is lacking but bread."

" Bread ! " answered Zarathustra laughing. " It is just bread that hermits lack. But man liveth not by bread alone, but also by the flesh of good lambs, of which I have two.

They shall be killed swiftly and cooked spicily, with sage. That is my taste. Neither are roots nor fruits lacking. There is enough of them even for gorman- disers and epicures. Nor are nuts lacking, or other riddles to crack.

Thus in a little while we will have a good meal. But he who meaneth to eat with us, must also put his hand unto the work, the kings included. For in Zarathustra's home even a king may be a cook."

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