FOOLS' SERVICE

In the small town of Eldermere, there was a peculiar shop at the end of the cobbled street. Its wooden sign, swaying in the wind, read Fools' Service – Wisdom at a Price.

The shop had only one employee, an old man named Gregor, whose wrinkled face held an eternal smirk. People came to him with problems—lost loves, failed businesses, broken dreams. Gregor listened carefully, then offered a single piece of advice. The catch? His advice always sounded foolish.

One day, a young merchant named Elias entered the shop. His business was failing, and he had spent all his savings trying to fix it. Desperate, he asked Gregor for guidance.

Gregor chuckled and said, "Sell water to the river."

Elias scoffed. "That’s absurd! Why would anyone buy water when they already have plenty?"

But with no other options, he pondered Gregor’s words. Then, an idea struck him—he could sell clean, purified water to travelers and distant villages where water was scarce. He started small, but soon, his business flourished.

Realizing the truth behind Gregor’s wisdom, Elias returned to the shop, but the old man was gone. The shop was empty, the sign removed. Only a note remained on the dusty counter:

"Fools ignore wisdom, and the wise embrace folly."