The Wise Man and the Fool

[dewajack]

Two men were sent down to a faraway, peaceful land. One was wise, while the other was a fool. During his journey, the wise man was often asked to share his knowledge and opinions with others. He amassed great wealth, honor, and respect as he spent time in the land. He prayed day and night and thanked his father for all he had obtained, including his great wisdom.

The fool made his way clumsily serving, as well as watching and learning from kids, women, the downtrodden, nature, and laborers. He was funny and loved to joke with others. Nobody asked him to share his knowledge or opinions. Most didn’t take him seriously, but they enjoyed his company. He prayed day and night and thanked his Father for all he had obtained, including the things he learned from the wisdom of others.

As time passed, a great army slowly approached the land from afar. Their numbers were great and they carried a large red banner into battle. The peaceful people had never been involved in combat, they didn’t know what to do. They thought it best to consult the wise man, after all, he was a doctor of many things and knew a great deal.

The wise man consulted with his peers, reviewed journals from the past, and thought long and hard about a solution. He concluded that it would be best to reason with the approaching army to reach an agreement. He sent two respected and wise lawyers to negotiate with the army. After several days, one lawyer returned stating that the opposing army laughed at their suggestions and killed the other lawyer. He told the people to pack their things and flee.

Again, everyone looked to the wise man who offered great wisdom and security in the things he shared. This time, the man had an idea that pleased him. He knew the army was slowly approaching and believed he had enough time to prepare others for combat. He used an old military textbook as his guide and began training himself and the other men in the ways of warfare. They trained with their farm tools day and night in preparation for the upcoming battle. They were nervous, but they would fight and defend their land.

Between trainings, the fool decided to see this army for himself. He hiked to a nearby mountain to view the approaching savages. What he saw worried him. He knew the townsfolk were not prepared for such an undertaking, so right there on the mountain, he petitioned his Father for help, thanking him for all he had obtained, including the things he learned from the wisdom of others.

When he came down from the mountain, thoughts began to come into his mind, for which he was grateful. He went and gathered the kids who he had played with previously and instructed them to go to the same mountain he just came from when the army got close, and push boulders and debris down on top of the enemy.
He suggested to the laborers that between trainings they should construct traps, ditches, and other obstacles to surprise the enemy army with. They talked among themselves and thought it was worthwhile, so they acted on his suggestion.

Next, he rallied the downtrodden and poor folk of the town, asking them to round up the livestock and other animals in the town to harass the approaching army.

Then, he encouraged the women to work to persuade the wise man to let them get involved in the fight. The wise man said he was busy training and preparing, but he hesitantly consented to let them prepare as they saw fit.

The women fasted and prayed for help, and felt directed to gather oil and place it in the narrow pass that the army would have to travel through. They planned to lay fire on the oil in an effort to hinder the army’s advancement.

Lastly, the fool began to talk with Mother Earth, thanking her for their bounty and asking if she’d be willing to help the townsfolk, who strived to respect her and considered her sacred.

As the day of the battle came and the approaching army could be heard from the town, the wise man gathered his trained army and strategically placed them throughout the village. He eloquently addressed them and offered to die with them if need be on the battlefield. Although frightful, the men cheered and prepared for combat.

The confident army began to pass by the high mountain, when rocks, boulders, logs, and other debris began to fall on the troops. Their bows and arrows, spears, and other weapons wouldn’t reach the children at the top of the mountain. The army had many casualties as they came upon the narrow pass.

When a good portion of the army marched into the pass, the women of the town began lighting the oil, which burned and burned. Many of the men were trapped in the pass and had nowhere to escape. By the time the fire had mellowed, more than half of the army laid at the foot of the mountain and in the pass.

As the remaining troops came from the pass, they could see the town and began to pick up the pace. As they began to come through the trees, many animals ran uncontrolled among them, trampling and injuring many of the first wave. The downtrodden and poor folk hid in the trees after releasing the animals.

The rest of the troops began charging toward the town as a result of fear now more than valor. Many traps in the field began to snare the running soldiers, while several troops broke legs falling into unseen pits.

Suddenly, a strong Eastern wind blew hard in the face of those who still remained. The wind, coupled with the low morale from what had taken place, led most of the remaining troops to give up and flee back to their land.

The men in the town nervously braced for the army, and were surprised to see such a small number of the enemy coming from the field toward them. They grew courageous and attacked the remaining troops, having no trouble with the small number that made it through. They quickly rounded up the prisoners and celebrated their decisive victory.

The following day, the townsfolk had a celebration feast, where they praised the wise man and his great plan. They suffered no casualties and considered themselves the most fortunate people on the face of the Earth to have one such as him to lead them. The fool stood at the back of the food line in the light of the sun, quietly thanking his Father for all he had obtained, including the things he learned from the wisdom of others.

[Durzan]

Hmm this is an interesting story. It seems as though both men were wise and foolish in their own way, but the fool's ideas and additional measure of humility (granted to him by the grace of Father) allowed him to indirectly whittle away at the enemy's forces, which in turn made the wise man's plan succeed.

[Niemand]

An author once struck a deal with Satan, and asked him to be able to write the most clever novel ever.

Years later, the author was dying. He was penniless, and friendless. Satan turned up to fetch the man's soul, and he said, "Why am I like this? You can't take me, you never kept your word."

"Because you asked to write the most brilliant book, not the best selling one. I kept my end of the bargain. Now you're coming with me..."

[BeNotDeceived]

An author once struck a deal with Satan, and asked him to be able to write the most clever novel ever.

Years later, the author was dying. He was penniless, and friendless. Satan turned up to fetch the man's soul, and he said, "Why am I like this? You can't take me, you never kept your word."

"Because you asked to write the most brilliant book, not the best selling one. I kept my end of the bargain. Now you're coming with me..."

There are many stories like that written here.