The fool and the king

There once was a fool who set off for the palace of the king. Along the way, people pointed and laughed at him.

‘What would a fool like you do at the king’s palace’ they called sarcastically. ‘Well, I shall be the king’s teacher,’ the fool replied with certainty.

But his answer only made the people laugh more.

When the fool arrived at the palace, the king thought he could quickly deal with the fool and have some fun at his expense.

‘How dare you come and disturb the king?’ asked the monarch in a strict tone.

‘I am here to become your teacher,’ the fool said confidently.

The king doubled over with laughter. ‘What would a fool like you be able to teach me?’

‘You see,’ said the fool. ‘You are asking me a question straight away.’

It turned dreadfully quiet in the throne room and all the royal household staff held their breath.

The king too was taken aback, but then he replied. ‘I have to admit that your reaction was clever, but you didn’t answer my question.’

‘Only a fool has an answer to everything, king.’

‘But….’ spluttered the king flabbergasted. ‘What would my subjects think if their king would have a fool as his teacher?’

‘Better a fool as teacher than a fool as king,’ came back the answer.

The king was rather taken aback by the fool’s answers, but still tried to salvage the situation with a clever question. ‘But if I take a fool as teacher, does that not make me a fool?’

‘Only a fool will always say of himself that he is not a fool, king.’

And that is how the fool became the king’s teacher.