Then did Life answer me thus, and kept thereby her fine ears closed:

“O Zarathustra! Crack not so terribly with thy whip! Thou knowest surely that noise killeth thought⁠—and just now there came to me such delicate thoughts.

“We are both of us genuine ne’er-do-wells and ne’er-do-ills. Beyond good and evil found we our island and our green meadow⁠—we two alone! Therefore must we be friendly to each other!

“And even should we not love each other from the bottom of our hearts⁠—must we then have a grudge against each other if we do not love each other perfectly?

“And that I am friendly to thee, and often too friendly, that knowest thou: and the reason is that I am envious of thy Wisdom. Ah, this mad old fool, Wisdom!

“If thy Wisdom should one day run away from thee, ah! then would also my love run away from thee quickly.”⁠—