13.
"Why should one live? All is vain! To live-that is to thresh straw; to live-that is to burn oneself and yet not get warm.-
Such ancient babbling still passeth for "wisdom"; because it is old, however,
and smelleth mustily, therefore is it the more honoured. Even mould ennobleth.-
Children might thus speak: they shun the fire because it hath burnt them! There
is much childishness in the old books of wisdom.
And he who ever "thresheth straw," why should he be allowed to rail at
threshing! Such a fool one would have to muzzle!
Such persons sit down to the table and bring nothing with them, not even good
hunger:-and then do they rail: "All is vain!"
But to eat and drink well, my brethren, is verily no vain art! Break up, break
up for me the tables of the never-joyous ones!
