Up to no otold  faded from tle  old Narcissus next to not o mention—someto be asiful  ed y and s be sure s a o ized and instructed in religion; able. But after a feicated and ordered existence, sricks and crafts, arted to make trouble and seduce men, rayed from  a time, ation of a cer o find aken o imes, sation ayed alive, a ation t flickered like tail of a comet, until it inguised tle son, illing in Goldmund t  offer up o God to expiate hers sins.

    tale Goldmunds fatold of   to speak of ed at it to t t Goldmund to ter. It o terrible legend, but o pus aside and  forgotten it. tely forgotten and lost, an altoget image t  made of s tales and dark en rue living motar of  years, had risen again.

    quot;I cant understand ten,quot; o ;Never in my life ionally, fervently. Never did I venerate or admire anyone as I did o me. God only knoo darken t image in my soul, to co tco my fato me for many years.quot;

    Narcissus ly completed iate and . titude torangely cen before rejected s and counsel as cumbersome superiority and pedantry, was now, since onision of rue like prop of ly had he healed him!

    At least Goldmund seemed to be  only ing spell been  evil consequences, but all t ic in Goldmunds cer ed aion to monk o render particular service to God. to  once.  all to Narcissus.

    But Narcissus ing range caution toy, no longer in t condescending or instructing, o   in to see  sad.  t so muco s end. ill kne Goldmund t o follos call, but  knoo regions in wravel.

    Goldmunds eagerness to learn o argue o feel ted tiate or because of  drao fasting and long prayers, frequent confessions, voluntary penitence, and Goldmund understood t s. Since incts ure en y, t iny  te of innocence and calm o an end, t all aut and ready. tions en blissful, kept  like a s infatuation; at otimes tion.  moto  ainty and entanglement, into need, pero deat did not lead to quiet, mildness, security, to to collective cloister life. y fed on tion; it en as strong and burning as a violent pion.  long prayers to tting flo dreen range, magnificent dreams of ing. ts fragrance about ic eyes of love, rumble deep as an ocean, like paradise, stammer caressing, senseless endearments, or rats t filled aste of sness and salt and brus not only all t  only , ions; but someerior lay muc h.

    t o to ted senses. Encingly ted not only t: cly golden morning of life; but in ture s times tress all fused into one, seemed o erimes  ared at s, a somber, unfat bristling ale dangers—but ts, to iny tening abyss in her clear eye.

    So mucten cfulness, golden-faced premonition-scented memories of cions, of incidents peroy and vanisails flipping, s neure, depended on ed from , returned to rees, s slid along t moist-glistening berries ion; groping,  a tree, reacrunk and branc of tousled  of an arm. Once , om, tering groups.

    Once  all and adult but sat on t  of iny man, a tiny als; it seemed ty to ired of t somet  onis and s not  joy, t o life. e giants, t inuing to grorous, silent; too the world.

    yard, library, dormitory, and c incident could pierce a  in tedious lesson, a c of a garland of stone leaves protruding from top of a column in a —timulants ure ty, to unleasreams, and milky  lay beneaty. A Latin initial co e in te to Paradise, a Greek letter a galloping  t quickly slits place.

    , only occasionally did  of his dream world.

    quot;I believe,quot; ;t tal of a floiny ains far more t say very mucters and imes Ill be ing a Greek letter, a ta or an omega, and tilt my pen just test bit; suddenly tter ail and becomes a fis evokes all treams and rivers of t is cool and ers on er  becomes a bird, flaps its tail, s its featself up, laug appreciate letters like t very muc I say: e t;

    quot;I do appreciate tly,quot; Narcissus said sadly. quot;tters, demons can be exorcised  for t of science table. te, t s its symbols to be reliable, it loves

    does not permit an omega to co a serpent or a bird. t live in nature, only against nature, only as its counterpart. Do you believe no youll never be a sc;

    Yes, Goldmund o believe it, resigned o it.

    quot;Im no longer intent on striving for a mind like yours,quot; ;I feel about mind and learning t my fat I loved ed to become like  as soon as my mot to  repugnant. And noo regard all tile, and to feel a sligempt for t;

    one, and yet  able to bring a o  ;I understand you very o quarrel ever again; you are aage and fatage, t cloister life and striving for monkake for you, an invention of your fated you to atone for your motill believe t its your destiny to remain in ter all your life?quot;

    Goldmund looked pensively at inguise, bony and  t tic and a scholar.

    quot;I dont kno; ing, sligant voice ly acquired and t seemed to d;I really dont kno   per in too. Ive been in ter sco see me. s me to stay  , I t I ed it myself. But today Im no longer sure  and desire. Before, everytters in my textbook. No even tters. Everytaken on many meanings and faces. I dont kno t t no;

    quot;Nor need you,quot; said Narcissus. quot;Youll find out o your mot o ill. As for your fat judging oo  to go back to ;

    quot;No, Narcissus, certainly not. If I did, it o be a scin and Greek and matics. No, I dont  to go back to my fat;

    Deep in t, ared a to Narcissus: quot;? Again and again you say o me, or pose questions t s into me and make me clear to myself. You merely asked if I ed to go back to my fat I didnt  to. ? You seem to kno I didnt quite grasp  became so important to me after ake my being from my mot I en my c makes you kno I learn t too?quot;

    Narcissus smiled and shook his head.

    quot;No, my dear Goldmund, you cannot. Some people are capable of learning a great deal, but you are not one of tudent. And o. You s. You are more gifted tiful and more difficult times and me, you often kicked like a foal, it  alen forced to  you. I o o your memory  at first,  you very mucer garden as t o be. No, dont stroke my ! I dont like it.quot;

    quot;Cant I learn anytupid, a c;

    quot;to teac you could learn from me, you c;

    quot;O; cried Goldmund, quot; become friends to end it no of friends be, t reacs goal after a s distance and topped? Are you tired of me? ion for me?quot;

    Narcissus  of ;Let t be,quot; ly. quot;You knooo  my affection for you  come to an end.quot;

    it in udied opped and looked at Goldmund, aut,  ;Listen, Goldmund! Our friends  not to be over; I  to reneself once more, reneself again and again, and lead to ne tain, I can neiten to  my goal is not uncertain, it lies er, it claims me at every  I cannot be in love. I am a monk, I aken tion I so be released from my teacies and o fast and do exercises. During t period Ill not speak of ters, nor ;

    Goldmund understood. Sadly ;So youre going to do ;

    quot;You kno is,quot; said Narcissus.

    quot;ell, yes. In a feer, eace books yourself. No? All rig. But ;

    Narcissus smiled faintly. quot;t, or biss all to put myself in t able to serve, ies find t soil, t field of action. t;

    Goldmund: quot;No ot;

    Narcissus: quot;Oating Aristotle, or embelliser cation, or a  to increase ter, nor reform t to serve ties, tand t not a goal?quot;

    Goldmund t for a long while before he answered.

    quot;Youre rig; ;Did I o;

    quot;ed difficulties for me, but I am no enemy of difficulties. Ive learned from tly overcome t;

    Goldmund interrupted ;Youve overcome t, tell me: entioned novice, maybe youve raised an enemy of trive for, t opposite of ;

    quot;?quot; said Narcissus in deep earnest. quot;Dear friend, tle you knoill! Perure monk in you, but in exciny t  be ordinary. Even if you burned doer tomorroo t for an instant regret t I o.quot;

    iture h hands on his friends shoulders.

    quot;See tle Goldmund, too is part of my goal: ever, never do I ion of meeting a strong, valuable  kno furt me say to you: , youll never find me  any moment t you call me seriously and t you ;

    It sounded like a fare aste of fareood looking at ermined face, ted eyes; akable feeling t ted. t a dreamer;  ing for fate to call to o an establiso duty; , a soldier of religion, of t belong o oday. ed e once. S y and order, duty and o go out into uncertainty; s. S s he had been!

    Sly after tion, Narcissus seemed to o ructor eacern in tood vacant. ill present,  altogetone floor; one kne  exercise, t ing, t imes eac to exercise. ill present, but o anot often, but  be reac speak anding at ern again, sit in ory,  not o  about t became clear to  Narcissus alone er, tant and desirable to empted o become like Narcissus rue, t,   teaces, tory, tire cloister no longer concerned  Narcissus.  anding under ter roof like a ant ree, just to , for fear of tality of t ation and bidding fare places t o  t  Daniel and good dear Fater maybe, and t even t o tall stone madonna in to tles of tal. For a long time ood in front of t of tiful carvings of tain in ter garden, t trees in tyard, against tnut tree. One day, all of to urebook in . Even nos midst, it started to fade ay, comlike into somet no longer er mill; every so often  ed to a meal of  felt strange to o er noo be drained of reality, and appeared autumnal and transient.

    Only ting of , talgic sting of longing, to to tes, o  everytening only to to deep o colorful abysses full of fairy-tale deeds, and all thers eyes.