Isaac Bashevis Singer
In geveb, December 2020
Translated from the Yiddish Not everyone knows it, but Chelm once had a king. He was called Vaizatha the First, and not only was he a fool, but he was also extremely strict with his subjects. Vaizatha had no sages with whom to seek council. As soon as an idea struck him about how to improve the situation in Chelm, he immediately made it into a law. Like many tyrants who came before and after him, Vaizatha supposedly intended to do good, but the good always came out bad. He caused so much suffering in Chelm that it was nearly lost under his rule.
