Zarathustra reinterprets an attack as a benefaction and refuses victimhood: the strong should return the ‘poison’ to the attacker and convert harm into gratitude.

By Friedrich Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Key Arguments

  • He thanks the adder for waking him and reframes the bite as timely aid rather than harm.
  • He asserts hierarchical immunity: a ‘dragon’ does not die from a snake’s poison, signaling rank and resilience.
  • He refuses the gift of poison as too costly for the poor giver and demands the snake take it back, reversing the moral economy.
  • The snake ‘licks his wound,’ dramatizing the transvaluation of enmity into service through strength.

Source Quotes

‘Oh no,’ said Zarathustra. ‘You have not yet accepted my thanks! You woke me at the right time: my way is still long.’ ‘Your way will be short,’ said the adder sadly.
Zarathustra smiled. ‘When did a dragon ever die from the poison of a snake?’—he said. ‘But take your poison back!
‘When did a dragon ever die from the poison of a snake?’—he said. ‘But take your poison back! You are not rich enough to bestow it on me.’ Then the adder fell about his neck again and licked his wound.
You are not rich enough to bestow it on me.’ Then the adder fell about his neck again and licked his wound. When Zarathustra told this one day to his disciples, they asked: ‘And what, O Zarathustra, is the moral of your story?’

Key Concepts

  • You have not yet accepted my thanks! You woke me at the right time: my way is still long.
  • When did a dragon ever die from the poison of a snake?
  • But take your poison back! You are not rich enough to bestow it on me.
  • Then the adder fell about his neck again and licked his wound.

Context

Parabolic scene: a snake bites the sleeping Zarathustra, who answers with gratitude, rank-confidence, and a demand that the snake ‘take back’ its poison; later recounted to his disciples as the frame for an ‘immoral’ teaching.

Perspectives

Nietzsche
Approves as an allegory of noble transvaluation: higher types metabolize injury as stimulus, refuse ressentiment, and alter the creditor–debtor ledger by returning the ‘poison’.
Zarathustra
Models sovereignty: I am not harmed but awakened; I command even the enemy’s ‘gift’ back and turn attack into service.