and give him their morning greeting: for they had found when they
awakened that he no longer tarried with them. When, however, they
reached the door of the cave and the noise of their steps had preceded
them, the lion started violently; it turned away all at once from
Zarathustra, and roaring wildly, sprang towards the cave. The higher
men, however, when they heard the lion roaring, cried all aloud as
with one voice, fled back and vanished in an instant.

  Zarathustra himself, however, stunned and strange, rose from his
seat, looked around him, stood there astonished, inquired of his
heart, bethought himself, and remained alone. "What did I hear?"
said he at last, slowly, "what happened unto me just now?"

  But soon there came to him his recollection, and he took in at a
glance all that had taken place between yesterday and to-day. "Here is
indeed the stone," said he, and stroked his beard, "on it sat I
yester-morn; and here came the soothsayer unto me, and here heard I
first the cry which I heard just now, the great cry of distress.

  O ye higher men, your distress was it that the old soothsayer
foretold to me yester-morn,-

  -Unto your distress did he want to seduce and tempt me: 'O
Zarathustra,' said he to me, 'I come to seduce thee to thy last sin.'

  To my last sin?" cried Zarathustra, and laughed angrily at his own
words: "what hath been reserved for me as my last sin?"

  -And once more Zarathustra became absorbed in himself, and sat
down again on the big stone and meditated. Suddenly he sprang up,-

  "Fellow-suffering! Fellow-suffering with the higher men!" he cried
out, and his countenance changed into brass. "Well! That- hath had its
time!

  My suffering and my fellow-suffering- what matter about them! Do I
then strive after happiness? I strive after my work!

  Well! The lion hath come, my children are nigh, Zarathustra hath
grown ripe, mine hour hath come:-

  This is my morning, my day beginneth: arise now, arise, thou great
noontide!"- -

  Thus spake Zarathustra and left his cave, glowing and strong, like a
morning sun coming out of gloomy mountains.

                        THE END
.