> The Village Idiot > ================= > > Once upon a time there was a village named Egoville hidden away > in the mountains. Now, this village, like most villages, had > their own idiot. His name was Hugh Millety. > > Hugh, the village idiot, was the ridicule of Egoville. > The towns folk would often set him up with silly choices in order > to laugh mercilessly at him when he made the wrong choice. > > "Hugh," they'd say, "would you rather have this shiny new > quarter or this dirty old torn dollar bill?" > > "I'd like the shiny quarter," Hugh would reply. His tormentor > would give him the quarter and walk away laughing, declaring > Hugh a true village idiot. Hugh would just shrug and go about > his business. > > Even though it was a poor village with little opportunity, this > was repeated several times a day by many people. As the years > went by, the ridicule became a ritual that dozens of townies > took part in. The towns folk had little to their names, but at > least they could feel better about themselves in comparison to > the village idiot this way. It was their small comfort in the > lap of poverty. > > Not everyone would make fun of Hugh though. A few felt sorry for > him and gave him hand-me-down clothes, leftover food, and even > an old shack to live in at the edge of town. Hugh lived off of > the handouts of the charitable few. > > One day, Hugh showed up at the village square wearing a brand new > suit. Everyone was amazed, for few people in the town could afford > new clothing, let alone a nice suit. The small village didn't even > have a new clothing store, only a used clothing store. > > One of townsfolk asked Hugh where he got his new suit, thinking > he must have stolen it. He bought it, he told them. And > furthermore he added, the fine new house being built on the > mountainside that everyone was wondering about, that was his. > > When questioned where he got the money, he told them it was the > money they gave him. With people giving him food, clothing, and > shelter, he simply saved and invested everything they gave him. > "I may be your village idiot," he smiled and said, > "but I'm no fool." > > But why then, they asked, did he always take the lesser amount > of money they offered him if he was so cunning? > > Hugh replied that if he had taken the greater amount of money, > they would have stopped offering it to him. He earned his money > by letting them laugh at him, but he knew the first time he took > the greater amount they'd stop offering him money and find > something else to laugh at him about. > > "Now," said Hugh, "I'm the richest person in town and have all > the money I need. I didn't waste money amusing myself at the > expense of someone I falsely perceived to be a lesser person. > And you, all of you, have little more now than you had when you > started ridiculing me. So tell me, who is the village idiot now?" > > Hugh smiled again, then handed out hundred dollar bills to those > who had been kind to him. The townsfolk were shocked. It was > true though, they had frittered away their money a little at a > time, trying to make themselves feel big by comparison to the > village idiot. > > It just goes to show you, if you live in Egoville, take care not > to become the village idiot by your vain perceptions. On the > other hand, if you follow the wisdom of Hugh Millety, you might > just become the richest person in town. > > ~Author Unknown~ > > >
