Heroes and Fools

All of the major characters in the collection of stories, and even most of the minor characters, can be easily categorized as either heroes or fools. The fools play the role of comedian and ignoramus in many of the stories, particularly in the stories centered on the residents of Chelm and East Chelm. For example, Lemel crushes raw eggs into his purse and places a goldfish in a birdcage while the Elders of Chelm cause Gimpel the Errand Boy to be carried by four men to prevent his feet from damaging the snow. These events are funny and ridiculous and, in the end, not much hard comes from them, except for the goldfish. The fools' lives are instructive and enjoyable but ultimately not as significant as the heroes' lives.

The heroes include Grandmother Leah, who enforces sensible bedtime rules and calms her grandchildren by telling them...