There once was a fool who set off for the palace of the queen. His name was Rafail. Along the way, people pointed and laughed at him.
‘What would a fool like you do at the queen’s palace’ they called sarcastically.
‘Well, I shall be the queen’s teacher,’ the fool replied with certainty.
But his answer only made the people laugh more.
They opened the castle gates, as if they were already expecting him
When the fool arrived at the palace, the queen thought she could quickly deal with the fool and have some fun at his expense.
'How dare you come and disturb the queen?’ asked the queen in a strict tone.
‘I am here to become your teacher,’ the fool said confidently.
The queen 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 queen 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, queen.’
‘But….’ spluttered the queen 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 queen,’ came back the answer.
The queen 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, queen.’
And that is how the fool became the queen’s teacher.
