The Foolish Traveller

Mood: Incredibly Content
Music: My Skin by Natalie Merchant
Date/Time: Tuesday, 21st July, 2009/ 6:10AM

I'm currently watching a manga turned anime recommended by an old friend from high school. The anime is called "Fruits Basket" and actually not bad.

This is a story from episode 11, told by a young boy making a comparison between the persona in the story and the lead female character of the show.

I found the written text on a blog titled Phosphorescence, complete blog credit at the end of this entry.
The Story:
Once upon a time, there was a foolish traveller who had gone on a journey.
Why was he foolish? Well, because he was fooled by everyone he met!

"Please, some money for medicine...?"

Everywhere he went, people made up all kinds of sad stories to tell him, and the traveller fell for every one of them.

"I have a sick younger sister..."

"I don't have money to buy seeds to plant in my fields."

Pretty soon, his money, his clothes, even his shoes had been cheated away from him.
But the foolish traveller was always glad to help. And he always told the people the same thing.

He said: "I wish you happiness."

But by this point, though, the traveller was completely naked, and with nothing left to cover himself, he decided to leave the main road and travel through the dense forest, where no one could see him.

But soon, he was discovered by the goblins that lived in the woods. The goblins wanted to eat the traveller's body, so they begged and pleaded, and used kind words to try and trick him. Of course, the traveller was fooled.

First, he let the goblins eat one of his legs. Then an arm. Then more and more. Before it was over, all that the traveller had left was his head. He'd even given his eyes away to the last of the goblins. And as that last goblin was eating the traveller's eyes, he turned and said

"Thank you, traveler. In return, I leave you this present."

What the goblin left was a slip of paper, with the word "fool" written on it. The traveller couldn't see it. He didn't know what it was. Even so, tears began to flow down his face.

"Thank you," he said. "This is the first present anyone ever gave me. I'm so happy. I'm so happy. Thank you."

Even without his eyes, he cried and cried, great tears of joy. Then, the traveller died, the smile still on his face.

And that's...the end of the story.
Is the traveller really foolish?

Video of the Story:

So, I ask: is the traveller foolish, or do you think this is how we should all strive to live our lives?

Love,
Ally.

Photo Credit: Life's a Beach; an original artistic effort by Xiana, Friday, 28th December, 2007
Story Credit: The Most "Foolish" Traveler in the World by Phosphorescence
Video Credit: Fruits Baskets: The Most Foolish Traveler In The World posted by youtube user njyoder