What a wonderful sleep had this been!  Never before by sleep, he had been thus refreshed, thus renewed, thus rejuvenated!  Perhaps, he had really died, had drowned and was reborn in a new body?  But no, he knew himself, he knew his hand and his feet, knew the place where he lay, knew this self in his chest, this Siddhartha, the eccentric, the weird one, but this Siddhartha was nevertheless transformed, was renewed, was strangely well rested, strangely awake, joyful and curious.

Siddhartha straightened up, then he saw a person sitting opposite to him, an unknown man, a monk in a yellow robe with a shaven head, sitting in the position of pondering.  He observed the man, who had neither hair on his head nor a beard, and he had not observed him for long when he recognised this monk as Govinda, the friend of his youth, Govinda who had taken his refuge with the exalted Buddha.  Govinda had aged, he too, but still his face bore the same features, expressed zeal, faithfulness, searching, timidness.  But when Govinda now, sensing his gaze, opened his eyes and looked at him, Siddhartha saw that Govinda did not recognise him.  Govinda was happy to find him awake; apparently, he had been sitting here for a long time and been waiting for him to wake up, though he did not know him.

“I have been sleeping,” said Siddhartha.  “However did you get here?”

“You have been sleeping,” answered Govinda.  “It is not good to be sleeping in such places, where snakes often are and the animals of the forest have their paths.  I, oh sir, am a follower of the exalted Gotama, the Buddha, the Sakyamuni, and have been on a pilgrimage together with several of us on this path, when I saw you lying and sleeping in a place where it is dangerous to sleep.  Therefore, I sought to wake you up, oh sir, and since I saw that your sleep was very deep, I stayed behind from my group and sat with you.  And then, so it seems, I have fallen asleep myself, I who wanted to guard your sleep.  Badly, I have served you, tiredness has overwhelmed me.  But now that you’re awake, let me go to catch up with my brothers.”

“I thank you, Samana, for watching out over my sleep,” spoke Siddhartha.  “You’re friendly, you followers of the exalted one.  Now you may go then.”

“I’m going, sir.  May you, sir, always be in good health.”

“I thank you, Samana.”

Govinda made the gesture of a salutation and said:  “Farewell.”

“Farewell, Govinda,” said Siddhartha.

The monk stopped.

“Permit me to ask, sir, from where do you know my name?”

Now, Siddhartha smiled.

“I know you, oh Govinda, from your father’s hut, and from the school of the Brahmans, and from the offerings, and from our walk to the Samanas, and from that hour when you took your refuge with the exalted one in the grove Jetavana.”

“You’re Siddhartha,” Govinda exclaimed loudly.  Now, I’m recognising you, and don’t comprehend any more how I couldn’t recognise you right away.  Be welcome, Siddhartha, my joy is great, to see you again.”