224 THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, III
stone, thou destroyer of stars ! Thyself thou threwest so high, but every stone thrown must fall !
Condemned unto thyself and thine own stoning. O Zarathustra, far thou threwest the stone indeed, but it will fall back upon thyself!'
Then the dwarf was silent ; and that lasted long. But his silence pressed me down; and being thus by twos, verily, one is lonelier than being by one!
I ascended, I ascended, I dreamt, I thought, but everything pressed upon me. Like a sick one I was, who is wearied by a sore torture, and who, by a sorer dream, is awakened out of his falling asleep.
But a thing is within me, I call it courage. It hath hitherto slain every evil mood of mine. This courage bade me at last stand still and say : ' Dwarf ! Thou ! Or I!'
For courage is the best murderer, courage that attacketh. For in every attack there is a stirring music of battle.
But man is the most courageous animal. Thereby he hath conquered every animal. With stirring battle- music he hath conquered every pain ; but human pain is the sorest pain.
Courage even slayeth giddiness nigh abysses. And where doth man not stand nigh abysses ! Is the very seeing not seeing abysses ?
Courage is the best murderer ; courage murdereth even pity. But pity is the deepest abyss. As deep
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