The Fool

          As the boy wanders carelessly around the town, he begins to whistle a little tune as he trots around.  He carries a long staff on his right while holding a white rose.  Always keeping his left hand empty so that he can use it at any time; he seemed to be very careless and foolish among the townspeople, for he was right handed.  Only he believed that his best hand was the hand he could do nothing with.

          One day, a traveler from a far away land walked in on this fool-occupied town.  He had looked all around to find help, for he was old and tired from traveling so long of a time without a real bed to rest in.  The boy was the first to spot the old man and decided to help him out.  The boy had a large house on the high hill and had no one to share it with, so he offered the old man a place to stay for as long as he needed it.  Even though no one knew who this man was, the boy felt very attached to him, as if he had known him for the longest time.  The next morning after he had put the old man up for a room, the old man stumbled down the stairs and leaned on his old wooden cane over to the boy.  The atire was normal for an old man like him, but it was much too similar to the boys daily wear.  The boy noticed how dirty the old man's clothes were, so he undressed him and gave him some of his own clothes to wear instead.  As the old man gave the boy his tunic, the boy noticed a single white petal of a flower stiched into his pocket sleve.  He wondered about it but then just thougt nothing of it.  The day continued...

          At the end of the day, this old man had made up his mind to leave after supper; after he had thanked the boy for his hospitality.  That night, as the old man gathered his things together, as little as they were in amount, the boy asked him if there was anything else that he wished before he left.  The old man declined the offer of more politeness, but gave the boy a purse of silver crowns and gold coins.  The boy looked puzzled as he refused the money.  He asked the old man that if he had the money all along, why did he not go to the inn instead.  The old man did not answer, but just laughed as he walked out the door never to be seen again.  The boy then thinks even harder about the incident that had just occured.  He checks his pockets to see that it was his very own purse that was taken away from him.  He then remembers that he had a tunic just like the old man.  His pocket had petals in it as well.... It was his very own tunic!  The boy then opens the door and sees the old man still walking away slowly...  He hollars for the old man as the man turned around.  "Yes?"  the old man asked.  "Have a good journey." said the boy as he smiled and went back into the house.  The boy was very much the fool as he had nothing left.  The Fool is now his name.

          The fool is the first card of the Major Arcana.  This card is first on the list to show innocence, luck, and fortune.  When used in Divination, The Fool can be a good card, but usually indicates carelessness or follishness...  Be cautious if this card is drawn, for the outcome is very hard to predict.