The Wise Fool of Somali Folklore
Somali folklore features a beloved character known as the 'wise fool' — a simpleton whose apparent foolishness conceals profound wisdom. In one popular tale, a poor man was mocked by villagers for talking to rocks. 'Stupid man,' they laughed, 'rocks cannot hear!' When a terrible drought came, the wise fool walked to a great boulder and asked it where water could be found. Following a strange impulse, he dug beneath the rock and found an underground spring that saved the village. When others tried to imitate him and dug under other rocks, they found nothing. The wise fool explained: 'The rock d