Chapter 2 Prologue II of Zarathustra

Zarathustra came down from the mountain alone, and no one would meet him.But when he went into the forest, he suddenly saw standing in front of him an old man who had left his holy hut to search for roots in the forest.He said to Zarathustra: "This traveler, with whom I once knew: many years ago, he was here. His name was Zarathustra; but he is changed now. Then you carried your ashes to the mountains; will you now carry your fire to the valleys?Are you not afraid of being punished as an 'arsonist'? Yes, I recognized Zarathustra.His eyes are pure, and his lips express no disgust.Is he not advancing like a dancer?

Zarathustra is changed; he has become a child; Zarathustra is an awakened one: what will you do now among the sleeping crowd? Alas, do you want to log in now?Alas, when you live in solitude, as in the sea, the sea carries you.Do you want to drag the burden of your body again? " Zarathustra replied: "I love mankind." "Why have I," said the sage, "flee into this forest and this solitude? Was it not because I loved mankind too much? Now I love God: I don't love humans.I think man is a very incomplete object.The love of humanity may well destroy me. "

"Give them nothing!" said the sage. "You'd rather take some of their burden and carry it for them--as long as it pleases you, they'll be delighted. If you want to give now, don't give them more than you give to beggars; and let them ask you. " "No," replied Zarathustra, "I give nothing, I am not so poor." The sage began to laugh at Zarathustra, and said: "Try, then, to make them accept your treasure! They do not trust the solitary, nor that we have come to give. In their ears, the sound of our footsteps walking on the street is too lonely.As if they were lying in bed at night and heard a man walking before sunrise, they asked themselves: Where is the thief going?

Don't go among the crowd, stay in the forest!Better go back to the herd!Bears to bears, birds to birds—why wouldn't you be like me? " "What do sages do in the forest?" asked Zarathustra. The sage answered: "I make hymns and sing them. When I make music, I laugh, I cry, I murmur: thus I praise God. I sing, cry, laugh and croon, praising my God.But what gift did you bring us? " After hearing these words, Zarathustra bowed to the sage and said, "What gift can I give you? Please let me go quickly, then I will take nothing from you!" So They, the sage and the traveler, bid farewell to each other, smiling like two children.

Zarathustra walked alone, and said to his heart: "Is this possible? The old sage is in his forest, and has not heard that God is dead!"