A Fool and His Father

Why can't a father get some credit when he raises a fool? Not your normal question, but today isn't your normal day. August 2 is the feast day (unless you go by the new calendar, in which case it is August 15) and 540th (or, maybe the 541st) birthday of Basil the Fool, son of Jacob.

But does Jacob get a cathedral? A feast day? Even a last name? Nothing, not even something catchy, but depreciative like "Jacob the jerk." He raised a saint, for God's sake. Shouldn't the papa get some props?

Nope, fathers of fools are condemned to sorrow.

Even Ivan the Fool's pop, who turns out to be happy his son has married a frog, doesn't get much. After all, once the folk tale father agrees to be happy about his son's union, he loses his whole czardom.

It's not fair. After all, it's not like the father is the fool.