The Soldier and the Bacon

This is a medieval story about a fool from the fable-writer Odo of Cheriton; it is included among his "parabolae" in Hervieux's Fabulistes latins: 2. De rege quodam mittente bacones cuidam militi.

A certain king sent to a certain soldier some sides of bacon so that he could sell the bacon and buy clothes suitable for an important church holiday. On the holiday, the foolish soldier wrapped himself left and right with the sides of bacon. When the other soldiers showed up in elegant clothing, he showed up wearing the bacon. When asked why he did this, he said that he put on such clothing as his king had sent him, and he didn't want to change it.

So too the king of us all has commanded us to change our wicked lifestyle, putting on the clothing of virtue instead. Those who refuse will, on the holy day of judgment, look ridiculous, wearing the bacon of their various sins, and the Lord who is in heaven will laugh at them.

Of course the soldier is a fool, and even God laughs at him (how often do you see God laugh?!), but I was also thinking that the soldier is perhaps a sort of holy fool, someone who is attached to the bacon because it came to him from his king, and even though the king himself told him to exchange the bacon for fine clothing, he does not want to part with the gift that came from his king. Of course, the king really does want him to sell the bacon, and God really does not want to see his worshipers dressed in the "bacon of sin" ... but at the same time, there is something endearing about this foolish soldier and about this story IMO.

bacon from rawpixel