33O THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, III
' O Zarathustra ! Do not crack thy whip so terribly ! For thou knowest : noise murdereth thought. And even now very tender thoughts come unto me.
We are the proper pair of good-for-evil things and good-for-good things. Beyond good and evil we found our island and our green meadow we two alone ! Therefore we have to be fond of each other !
And although we do not love each other from the bottom must folk quarrel, if they love not each other from the bottom?
And that I am fond of thee, and often too fond, that thou knowest. And the reason is that I am jealous of thy wisdom. Alas, this mad, old fool, wisdom !
If one day thy wisdom should run away from thee, alas ! my love also would then quickly run away from thee.'
Then life looked thoughtfully behind herself and round herself, and said gently : ' O Zarathustra, thou art not faithful enough unto me !
Thou lovest me not so much by far as thou sayest. I know, thou thinkest of leaving me soon.
There is an old heavy humming bell ; it hummeth in the night upwards unto thy cave.
If thou hearest that clock at midnight strike the hour, thou thinkest of it between one and twelve.
Thou thinkest, O Zarathustra, I know it, of soon leaving me ! '
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