The Unfortunate Fool

In bounced the Royal Court Jester, tumbling head over heels. The King looked up as he heard the Jester’s door open on the left side of the Great Hall, a smile appeared instantly upon his lips. The Jester looked like a spinning wheel of gold and blue as he did cartwheels to the center of the hall and then stopped on his feet before the King. He was extravagantly dressed in pointed black and gold shoes with bells on their tips, red and gold tights, black and blue shorts, and a red and white checkered top. He bowed low and the tassels on his pointy rainbow-colored hat completely covered his gaily-colored face. As he stood straight again, the King’s smile began to slowly disappear.

What was this? Could it be real? Were the Kings eyes deceiving him, or was that a frown on the clown’s face? The King shook his head to clear his eyes, but when he looked at the Jester, the frown was determined to stay right there on his face.

The Jester cleared his throat loudly to make sure the Kings attention was completely on him, for he looked to be rather distracted. The Jester removed the hat he had worn so many times in this room and wiped the paint from his face and said something he never believed he would ever say.

“If it pleases you, my king, I would like to be serious for a moment, for I have something I desire to get off of my chest. For many years have I been in your service, and even before that time I was a jester, always making other people laugh.

“But here I stand before you to tell you that I am not happy. Why should I too not laugh to my hearts content? I am tired of being taken for a fool, for that is not who I am. In my breast beats the heart of a warrior. In my head is the mind of a scholar. These two hands are the hands of a master craftsman. All of you laugh at me, never to be taken seriously. Who among your court even thought to come to me for help or advice when they were in trouble? Did anyone ever wonder if all my needs were satisfied? Or am I forgotten the second I tumble back into my small chamber?

“Many a time have I come to you and been serious, but all I get as a reply is laughter for you think I am joking. And those that I have talked to and explained my views to, so that at least someone in this world may know me for whom I really am, also laughed at me. But even those that knew I was being serious, though thinking it a jest, laughed at me instead and thought me an idiot among men, not fit to walk in their shadow.

“This before you is a man, not a toy. I will stand no longer for this ridicule. No longer will I be the butt of every joke. I too want to find someone special to love and to hold. I implore you, my king. I beg of you oh great and wise King, please...Take me serious and let your kingdom know, that Jester is a man to be taken seriously, loved and respected.”

The Jester looked up at the Kings face in hopes to find kindness and understanding as he had seen upon the King’s face a thousand times before. Happiness sprang into his heart as he saw a smile grow upon the King’s face. But the smile did not stop at the level of kindness and understanding. Nor did it stop at the level of joy, but continued to grow into the face he had seen a million times before. The same face that always appeared when he slipped on a banana peal or juggled fruit, getting himself all covered in slimy juice.

As the King bellowed out in laughter, the happiness fled the Jester’s chest as if it knew it was not meant to be there. The King finally got control of himself and wiped the tears from his eyes. He had not laughed so hard in quite a while.

“I thank you, my good Jester. That was indeed a very good joke, and one that was most definitely needed. You always know when to cheer me up. Thank you again. Now, if you will please, I do have some serious business to attend to. Good day,” said the King as he beckoned in his subjects.

The Jester hung his head low and dragged himself back through the door, on the left side of the Hall, for the last time, forever to be summoned to bring joy and laughter to the hearts of the King and his court.