VIII. The Tree on the Hill

Zarathustra’s eye had perceived that a certain youth avoided him. And as he walked alone one evening over the hills surrounding the town called “The Pied Cow,” behold, there found he the youth sitting leaning against a…

Zarathustra finds the youth who has been avoiding him, sitting against a tree above the town. He says the wind bends the tree as unseen hands bend us, and that the higher man climbs, the more his roots strive toward the evil.

“Yea, into the evil!” cried the youth. “How is it possible that thou hast discovered my soul?” Zarathustra smiled, and said: “Many a soul one will never discover, unless one first invent it.” “Yea, into the evil!” cried…

The youth says Zarathustra has found his soul. He trusts himself no longer, changes too quickly, finds himself alone aloft, and despises those who climb as he does.

Many a soul one will never discover, unless one first invent it.

Zarathustra answers the youth's amazement with a smile and this remark.

Here the youth was silent. And Zarathustra contemplated the tree beside which they stood, and spake thus: “This tree standeth lonely here on the hills; it hath grown up high above man and beast. And if it wanted to…

Zarathustra says the tree waits perhaps for the first lightning. The youth cries out that Zarathustra is that lightning and weeps. Zarathustra puts his arm around him and leads him away.

And when they had walked a while together, Zarathustra began to speak thus: It rendeth my heart. Better than thy words express it, thine eyes tell me all thy danger. As yet thou art not free; thou still SEEKEST freedom.…

Zarathustra says the youth's eyes show his danger. He is still a prisoner devising liberty, with his wild dogs barking in their cellar. Zarathustra begs him not to cast away his love and hope.

Noble thou feelest thyself still, and noble others also feel thee still, though they bear thee a grudge and cast evil looks. Know this, that to everybody a noble one standeth in the way. Also to the good, a noble one…

Everyone finds the noble one in the way, and the good call him good only to put him aside. His real danger is becoming a blusterer, scoffer or destroyer. Zarathustra has known noble men who lost their highest hope, disparaged all hopes and became sensualists.

But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not away the hero in thy soul! Maintain holy thy highest hope!

Zarathustra ends with a second plea to the youth: keep the hero and the highest hope holy.