Meanwhile the sun had reached the zenith, and as it looked through the holes in the roof, it began to parch the ill-protected body of the sage.... Darnu stretched out his hand toward his gourd.
But he at once saw what was written on the wall under the number 999,998 and Necessity again said:
“Poor sage, it is necessary that you drink.”
Darnu left the gourd untouched and said:
“I will not drink, because I am free.”
There came a laugh from a distant corner of the temple and at the same time one of the fruits of the fig-tree grew too heavy to hang any longer and fell at the feet of the sage. At the same time a number on the wall changed. Darnu realized at once that this was a new attempt of Necessity to destroy his inner liberty.
“I will not eat,” he said, “because I am free.”
Again there came a laugh from the depths of the temple and he heard the murmuring of the brook:
“Poor Darnu!”