Saladin was a minstrel who, being in Sicily one day at table with many
knights, was washing his hands; and a knight said to him: wash your
mouth and not your hands.
And Saladin replied: Messer, I have not spoken of you to-day.
Then as they were strolling about, to rest after eating, Saladin was
questioned by another knight, who said: tell me, Saladin, if I wished
to tell a story of mine, to whom must I tell it as being the wisest
amongst us? Saladin answered: Messer, tell it to whoever appears to you
to be the most foolish.
The knights questioned this answer, and begged him to expatiate upon
it.
Saladin replied: to fools every fool appears wise because of his
resemblance.
Therefore whoever appears most foolish to a fool, will be the wisest,
because wisdom is the contrary of folly. To every fool wise men seem
fools. Therefore to wise men fools seem truly foolish and full of
doltishness.