Set adrift by his pirate crew, Pocket of Dog Snogging--last seen in The Serpent of Venice--washes up on the sun-bleached shores of Greece, where he hopes to dazzle the Duke with his comedic brilliance and become his trusted fool. But the island is in turmoil. Egeus, the Duke's minister, is furious that his daughter Hermia is determined to marry Demetrius, instead of Lysander, the man he has chosen for her. The Duke decrees that if, by the time of...

"Brothers Mac and Mac are SO lucky that everything goes well - even when their frenemy Meatball plays tricks on them"--

Returning home from the Crusades, Hugh discovers that his wife has been abducted by relic-seeking knights, prompting him to pose as a court jester in order to infiltrate the castle where his wife is imprisoned. Hugh De Luc, a poor innkeeper, returns home from the First Crusade wearied from battle and disillusioned by carnage. After journeying from the Holy Land back to his own small village, he finds his nightmare is just beginning. In his absence,...

Danny Kaye assumes the role of court jester in an attempt to help a band of outlaws return the rightful heir to the English throne.

Examines the role of fools or jesters in medieval and Renaissance society and describes such individuals as Will Sommers of sixteenth-century England and Querno of sixteenth-century Italy.

When they discover that laughter is missing from their kingdom, a jester and his helpmate set out on a quest to find it.

Brothers Mac and Mac are outwitted by Cousin Meatball, three fish, and even a fishing rod when they set out to learn something new. Includes author's note on tales of fools and the motifs found in this story.