The Adder’s Bite

One day had Zarathustra fallen asleep under a fig-tree, owing to the heat, with his arms over his face. And there came an adder and bit him in the neck, so that Zarathustra screamed with pain. When he had taken his arm from his face he looked at the serpent; and then did it recognise the eyes of Zarathustra, wriggled awkwardly, and tried to get away. “Not at all,” said Zarathustra, “as yet hast thou not received my thanks! Thou hast awakened me in time; my journey is yet long.” “Thy journey is short,” said the adder sadly; “my poison is fatal.” Zarathustra smiled. “When did ever a dragon die of a serpent’s poison?”—said he. “But take thy poison back! Thou art not rich enough to present it to me.” Then fell the adder again on his neck, and licked his wound.

One hot day, Zarathustra fell asleep under a fig tree with his arms over his face. An adder came and bit him on the neck, and Zarathustra screamed in pain. He took his arm from his face and looked at the snake. When it recognized Zarathustra’s eyes, it squirmed awkwardly and tried to get away. “Not so fast,” said Zarathustra. “You haven’t received my thanks yet! You woke me in time. I still have a long journey ahead.” “Your journey is short,” said the adder sadly. “My poison is deadly.” Zarathustra smiled. “When has a dragon ever died from a snake’s poison?” he said. “But take your poison back! You’re not rich enough to give it to me.” Then the adder returned to his neck and licked his wound.

When Zarathustra once told this to his disciples they asked him: “And what, O Zarathustra, is the moral of thy story?” And Zarathustra answered them thus:

When Zarathustra once told this to his disciples, they asked him: “Zarathustra, what is the moral of your story?” Zarathustra answered them:

The destroyer of morality, the good and just call me: my story is immoral.

The good and just call me a destroyer of morality: my story is immoral.

When, however, ye have an enemy, then return him not good for evil: for that would abash him. But prove that he hath done something good to you.

But when you have an enemy, do not repay evil with good, because that would embarrass him. Instead, show him that he has done you some good.

And rather be angry than abash any one! And when ye are cursed, it pleaseth me not that ye should then desire to bless. Rather curse a little also!

And it is better to be angry than to embarrass anyone! When someone curses you, I do not like it when you want to bless them in return. Curse them a little instead!

And should a great injustice befall you, then do quickly five small ones besides. Hideous to behold is he on whom injustice presseth alone.

And if you suffer a great injustice, quickly commit five small ones in return. A person weighed down by injustice alone is hideous to behold.

Did ye ever know this? Shared injustice is half justice. And he who can bear it, shall take the injustice upon himself!

Have you ever realized this? Shared injustice is half justice. And whoever can bear the injustice should take it upon themselves!

A small revenge is humaner than no revenge at all. And if the punishment be not also a right and an honour to the transgressor, I do not like your punishing.

A little revenge is more humane than no revenge at all. And if punishment is not also a right and an honor for the offender, I do not like your punishing them.

Nobler is it to own oneself in the wrong than to establish one’s right, especially if one be in the right. Only, one must be rich enough to do so.

It is nobler to admit you are wrong than to prove you are right, especially when you are right. But you must be rich enough to do so.

I do not like your cold justice; out of the eye of your judges there always glanceth the executioner and his cold steel.

I do not like your cold justice. In your judges’ eyes, I always see the executioner and his cold steel.

Tell me: where find we justice, which is love with seeing eyes?

Tell me: where can we find justice, which is love with eyes that see?

Devise me, then, the love which not only beareth all punishment, but also all guilt!

Then find me a love that bears not only all punishment, but also all guilt!

Devise me, then, the justice which acquitteth every one except the judge!

Then devise for me a justice that acquits everyone except the judge!

And would ye hear this likewise? To him who seeketh to be just from the heart, even the lie becometh philanthropy.

And would you hear this too? For someone who seeks to be just from the heart, even a lie becomes an act of love for others.

But how could I be just from the heart! How can I give every one his own! Let this be enough for me: I give unto every one mine own.

But how could I be fair from the heart! How can I give everyone what is theirs! Let this be enough for me: I give everyone what is mine.

Finally, my brethren, guard against doing wrong to any anchorite. How could an anchorite forget! How could he requite!

Finally, my brothers, be careful not to wrong a hermit. How could a hermit forget! How could he repay a wrong!

Like a deep well is an anchorite. Easy is it to throw in a stone: if it should sink to the bottom, however, tell me, who will bring it out again?

A hermit is like a deep well. It is easy to throw a stone into one. But if the stone sinks to the bottom, tell me, who will bring it out again?

Guard against injuring the anchorite! If ye have done so, however, well then, kill him also!—

Be careful not to injure the hermit! But if you do, then kill him too!

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.