The Fool kept walking in the opposite direction of the corpses that headed towards the river shore to be picked up by boat and taken into the mist. The fog here was thick and swirled around, but the Fool kept trudging.
A figure stood in his path. He could see that the figure wore a dress that flared out and whipped in the wind. He came out of the fog and found himself standing in front of a beautiful woman wearing a crown. On her one hand was a hawk and on the other was a bouquet of roses that bees buzzed around. She wore a long dress that lifted up around her like bat wings. It had designs across her torso but the rest was black.
You are almost done with your journey, the woman said, I know it has been long and arduous, but I can tell you it has been worth it. You now have all the knowledge to be comfortable and useful in your life.
She had a knowing smile on her face. Her dress moved like it was underwater. The hawk wore a hood and tried to look around to no avail. The mist curled away from the two of them as they stood on the road of the dead. Corpses sauntered by and paid them no mind.
You are most kind, the Fool said bowing to the woman, but you are already wise and rich. I am but a poor dumb Fool who keeps forgetting his purpose. I appreciate your kind words, but it must be easy to be so positive being who you are.
She laughed. This is who I am today, she said, I had to travel a great way to get here and overcome adversity and life’s riddles, just like you. I didn’t get this for free, and neither are you.
The Fool was ashamed of his quick judgment of the woman. He just assumed she was a rich woman who got to play with poor souls, but she was just like him, a wanderer looking for answers.
I was a Fool as well, she said, I danced and wandered this world with no direction, but after my own journey, I decided to become wise. I took what I had learned as a Fool, and mixed it up with the experience of many great people, and then combined that with my instincts and the ability to remain teachable, I have amassed great wealth and comfort today.
That doesn’t mean you will follow my path, the woman continued, that just means you have hope that you can change and be something that you like seeing in the mirror.
The Fool was very comforted by that. There was something special about meeting someone who had been where he is now and is somewhere greater. All he wanted was a purpose. He didn’t quite know what it is, but the idea that it is out there to be discover gave the Fool great solace.
She stood to the side and rose her arm to show the Fool the way, the way he was already going, but this gave the Fool renewed confidence.
You are almost to the end of your journey, the woman said, now keep your soul open.
The Fool marched into the mist and trudged with vigor and his chin up high. He didn’t think he would feel this kind of pride as an old man, but he felt proud of his journey. He looked back and saw the slight silhouette of the woman in the swirling mist.
He headed to the end of his journey.