Chester was the village fool. Folks avoided talking to him because he bored them, something awful.
“That’s nice, Chester. You found ten ways to make a peanut butter sandwich with only one slice of bread,” said the vicar.
Chester lived by himself in a small hut on the edge of town. “I wish folks would stop by and sit for a spell. I have many things to share that would make their lives easier,” muttered Chester at tea.
Chester wanted someone to share his life, but that wasn’t going to happen. “People think I’m a fool,” said the man.
One winter morning, Chester went to town to buy a new pair of shoes. “I’ll leave my old ones home, so I don’t need to carry them back,” said Chester.
Walking the lane to town, he came across a dog he thought had died during the night. “Poor hound, I’d better take him home and bury him,” said Chester.
Chester placed the dog on the floor of the hut, then went and got his shoes. When he returned, the dog was breathing and had opened its eyes.
“Hey, you’re not dead!” cried Chester, who rushed over to the bed for a blanket to place on the dog.
After a bit of firm rubbing, the hound was sitting up, looking happy to be alive. “Let me fix you something to eat,” said Chester.
In no time at all, the dog was back on her feet and glued to Chester. Wherever he went, the dog was right next to him.
By spring, the two were traveling together like old friends. People stopped calling Chester a fool, and when he did speak, he had amazing stories to tell.
“I must say I misjudged you. You’re no fool. We were foolish. We believed you had nothing of value to offer,” the vicar told Chester one morning.
Now, when folks need to know ten new ways to make a blueberry pie with gooseberries. They walk to Chester’s for a lesson in humility and a great cup of tea.
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