The Most Foolish Traveler in the World.

I don't know why, but this story has been stuck in my head lately! It is a story featured in Fruits Basket manga & anime, written by Natsuki Takaya. It is about a traveler who was perceived as foolish by everyone, because he was so nice. I would like to share the story with all of you & see what your thoughts are about it, so please read on.

Momiji Sohma shared this tale in volume 3, chapter 17 of the manga &

 episode  11 of the anime

Once upon a time, there was a foolish traveler 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 make up all kinds of sad stories to try and tell him, and the traveler fell for everyone 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 traveler was always glad to help, and he always smiled and told the people the same thing, he said; ‘I wish you happiness.’

But by this point though, the traveler 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. Soon, he was discovered by the Goblins that lived in the woods, the Goblins wanted to eat the travelers body, so they begged and they pleaded, and used kind words to try and trick him..Of course, the traveler was fooled. First he let the Goblins eat one of his legs, then an arm, then more and more! Before it was all over, all the traveler 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 travelers eyes, he turned to him and said, “Thank you, traveler, in return I leave you with this present.” What the Goblin left was a slip of paper with the word  ‘Fool’ written on it.

The traveler 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’s ever given me. I’m so happy, thank you.” Even without his eyes the traveler cried and cried great tears of joy, and then, the traveler died, the smile still on his face.

Momiji, the character who shared this story with the other characters in the manga & the anime, then goes on saying: “When I close my eyes and think about him a little bit longer, how he’d given everything away until all he had left was his head, and how at the end he still cried for joy as he said thank you, I realize, I feel sorry for him, see? Loss, hardship, things like that, you can’t only focus on them, the traveler didn't, he never thought about his own troubles at all. I imagine that it probably does sound foolish to some people, but not to me it doesn't, I don’t think he was foolish at all. Even though other people probably believe he was being tricked, I don’t think he was, I think he was doing exactly what he wanted to do. I think..more than anything, he just wanted to make other people happy. What do you think? Is that foolish? When you close your eyes and think about it, is that what it is?”

I am not good at unraveling philosophical messages, but I would like to share my thoughts on the story. I think the traveler knew exactly what he was doing. I believe that it takes a happy person to make another happy.. so, the story shows that the traveler was the happy one & that is why he was able to die in joy in the end. I read a study some time ago that said happier people tend to give more & giving makes people happy, so this goes as a circle: happy people give more, which makes them even happier, so they give even more! 

What do you think?