Fools are everywhere

"Beatrice K. Otto takes us on a journey around the world in search of one of the most colorful characters in history - the court jester. Though not always clad in cap and bells, these witty, quirky characters crop up everywhere, from the courts of ancient China and the Mogul emperors of India to those of medieval Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Throughout history, they have lampooned anything and anyone deemed sacrosanct - religion and its representatives, self-important scholars, officials, and corrupt, lazy rulers. With a wealth of anecdotes, jokes, quotations, epigraphs,…