Quoth Siddhartha:  “Already I am starting to learn from you.  Even yesterday, I was already learning.  I have already taken off my beard, have combed the hair, have oil in my hair.  There is little which is still missing in me, oh excellent one:  fine clothes, fine shoes, money in my pouch.  You shall know, Siddhartha has set harder goals for himself than such trifles, and he has reached them.  How shouldn’t I reach that goal, which I have set for myself yesterday:  to be your friend and to learn the joys of love from you!  You’ll see that I’ll learn quickly, Kamala, I have already learned harder things than what you’re supposed to teach me.  And now let’s get to it:  You aren’t satisfied with Siddhartha as he is, with oil in his hair, but without clothes, without shoes, without money?”

Laughing, Kamala exclaimed:  “No, my dear, he doesn’t satisfy me yet.  Clothes are what he must have, pretty clothes, and shoes, pretty shoes, and lots of money in his pouch, and gifts for Kamala.  Do you know it now, Samana from the forest?  Did you mark my words?”

“Yes, I have marked your words,” Siddhartha exclaimed.  “How should I not mark words which are coming from such a mouth!  Your mouth is like a freshly cracked fig, Kamala.  My mouth is red and fresh as well, it will be a suitable match for yours, you’ll see.—­But tell me, beautiful Kamala, aren’t you at all afraid of the Samana from the forest, who has come to learn how to make love?”

“Whatever for should I be afraid of a Samana, a stupid Samana from the forest, who is coming from the jackals and doesn’t even know yet what women are?”

“Oh, he’s strong, the Samana, and he isn’t afraid of anything.  He could force you, beautiful girl.  He could kidnap you.  He could hurt you.”

“No, Samana, I am not afraid of this.  Did any Samana or Brahman ever fear, someone might come and grab him and steal his learning, and his religious devotion, and his depth of thought?  No, for they are his very own, and he would only give away from those whatever he is willing to give and to whomever he is willing to give.  Like this it is, precisely like this it is also with Kamala and with the pleasures of love.  Beautiful and red is Kamala’s mouth, but just try to kiss it against Kamala’s will, and you will not obtain a single drop of sweetness from it, which knows how to give so many sweet things!  You are learning easily, Siddhartha, thus you should also learn this:  love can be obtained by begging, buying, receiving it as a gift, finding it in the street, but it cannot be stolen.  In this, you have come up with the wrong path.  No, it would be a pity, if a pretty young man like you would want to tackle it in such a wrong manner.”

Siddhartha bowed with a smile.  “It would be a pity, Kamala, you are so right!  It would be such a great pity.  No, I shall not lose a single drop of sweetness from your mouth, nor you from mine!  So it is settled:  Siddhartha will return, once he’ll have have what he still lacks:  clothes, shoes, money.  But speak, lovely Kamala, couldn’t you still give me one small advice?”