THE THREE METAMORPHOSES.

Three metamorphoses of the spirit do I designate to you: how the spiritrnbecometh a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.rnrnMany heavy things are there for the spirit, the strong load-bearingrnspirit in which reverence dwelleth: for the heavy and the heaviestrnlongeth its strength.rnrnWhat is heavy? so asketh the load-bearing spirit; then kneeleth it downrnlike the camel, and wanteth to be well laden.rnrnWhat is the heaviest thing, ye heroes? asketh the load-bearing spirit,rnthat I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength.rnrnIs it not this: To humiliate oneself in order to mortify one’s pride? Tornexhibit one’s folly in order to mock at one’s wisdom?rnrnOr is it this: To desert our cause when it celebrateth its triumph? Tornascend high mountains to tempt the tempter? Or is it this: To feed on the acorns and grass of knowledge, and for thernsake of truth to suffer hunger of soul?rnrnOr is it this: To be sick and dismiss comforters, and make friends ofrnthe deaf, who never hear thy requests? Or is it this: To go into foul water when it is the water of truth, andrnnot disclaim cold frogs and hot toads? Or is it this: To love those who despise us, and give one’s hand to thernphantom when it is going to frighten us?rnrnAll these heaviest things the load-bearing spirit taketh upon itself:rnand like the camel, which, when laden, hasteneth into the wilderness, sornhasteneth the spirit into its wilderness.rnrnBut in the loneliest wilderness happeneth the second metamorphosis: herernthe spirit becometh a lion; freedom will it capture, and lordship in itsrnown wilderness.rnrnIts last Lord it here seeketh: hostile will it be to him, and to itsrnlast God; for victory will it struggle with the great dragon.rnrnWhat is the great dragon which the spirit is no longer inclined to callrnLord and God? “Thou shalt,” is the great dragon called. But the spiritrnof the lion saith, “I will.”rnrn“Thou shalt,” lieth in its path, sparkling with gold—a scale-coveredrnbeast; and on every scale glittereth golden, “Thou shalt!”rnrnThe values of a thousand years glitter on those scales, andrnthus speaketh the mightiest of all dragons: “All the values ofrnthings—glitter on me.rnrnAll values have already been created, and all created values—do Irnrepresent. Verily, there shall be no ‘I will’ any more.” Thus speakethrnthe dragon.rnrnMy brethren, wherefore is there need of the lion in the spirit? Whyrnsufficeth not the beast of burden, which renounceth and is reverent?rnrnTo create new values—that, even the lion cannot yet accomplish: but torncreate itself freedom for new creating—that can the might of the lionrndo.rnrnTo create itself freedom, and give a holy Nay even unto duty: for that,rnmy brethren, there is need of the lion.rnrnTo assume the right to new values—that is the most formidablernassumption for a load-bearing and reverent spirit. Verily, unto such arnspirit it is preying, and the work of a beast of prey.rnrnAs its holiest, it once loved “Thou shalt”: now is it forced to findrnillusion and arbitrariness even in the holiest things, that it mayrncapture freedom from its love: the lion is needed for this capture.rnrnBut tell me, my brethren, what the child can do, which even the lionrncould not do? Why hath the preying lion still to become a child?rnrnInnocence is the child, and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, arnself-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea.rnrnAye, for the game of creating, my brethren, there is needed a holy Yearnunto life: ITS OWN will, willeth now the spirit; HIS OWN world winnethrnthe world’s outcast.rnrnThree metamorphoses of the spirit have I designated to you: how thernspirit became a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.—rnrnThus spake Zarathustra. And at that time he abode in the town which isrncalled The Pied Cow.