THE LAST SUPPER

THE LAST SUPPER7

FOR AT THIS POINT the soothsayer interrupted the greeting of Zarathustra and his guests: he thrust himself forward like one who had no time to lose, seized Zarathustra’s hand and exclaimed: “But Zarathustra!

“One thing is more necessary than another, so you say yourself: well, one thing is now more necessary to me than all others.

“A word at the right time: did not you invite me to a meal? And here are many who have made long journeys. You do not mean to feed us merely with speeches?

“Besides, all of you have thought too much about freezing, drowning, suffocating, and other bodily dangers: none of you, however, has thought of my danger, namely, dying of hunger—”

(Thus spoke the soothsayer. But when Zarathustra’s animals heard these words, they ran away in terror. For they saw that all they had brought home during the day would not be enough to fill this one soothsayer.)

“And dying of thirst,” continued the soothsayer. “And although I hear water splashing here like words of wisdom-that is to say, abundantly and tirelessly, I—want wine!

“Not every one is a born water drinker like Zarathustra. Neither does water suit weary and drooping men: we deserve wine-it alone gives immediate vigor and improvised health!”

“On this occasion, when the soothsayer was longing for wine, it happened that the king on the left, the silent one, also found speech for once. ”We took care,” he said, ”about wine, I, along with my brother the king on the right: we have enough wine,-a whole ass’s load of it. So nothing is lacking but bread.”

“Bread,” replied Zarathustra laughing, “it is precisely bread that hermits do not have. But man does not live by bread alone, but also by the flesh of good lambs, of which I have two:

—“these we shall slaughter quickly and cook spicily with sage: that is how I like them. And there is also no lack of roots and fruits, good enough even for gourmets and epicures; nor of nuts and other riddles that need cracking.

“Thus we will have a good meal in a little while. But whoever wants to eat with us must also give a hand to the work, even the kings. For with Zarathustra even a king may be a cook.”

This proposal appealed to the hearts of all of them, save that the voluntary beggar objected to the flesh and wine and spices.

“Just hear this glutton Zarathustra!” he said jokingly: “does one go into caves and high mountains to make such meals?

“Now indeed I understand what he once taught us: ‘A little poverty is blessed!’ And why he wishes to do away with beggars.”

“Be of good cheer,” replied Zarathustra, “as I am. Abide by your customs, you excellent one: grind your corn, drink your water, praise your own cooking: if only it makes you happy!

“I am a law only for my own, I am not a law for all. But he who belongs to me must be strong-limbed and nimble-footed,—

—“cheerful in war and feasting, no sulker, no dreamer, ready for what is hardest as for the feast, healthy and whole.

“The best belongs to me and mine; and if we are not given it, then we take it: the best food, the purest sky, the strongest thoughts, the fairest women!”—

Thus spoke Zarathustra; but the king on the right answered and said: “Strange! Has one ever heard such clever things out of the mouth of a wise man?

“And truly, it is the strangest wise man who is clever and no ass.”

Thus spoke the king on the right and wondered; but the ass maliciously replied Yeah-Yuh. This, however, was the beginning of that long meal which is called “The Last Supper” in the history books. At this there was nothing else discussed but the higher man.8