From “The Fool,” which appears in The Fool and Other Moral Tales, a collection of stories published last month by New Directions. Translated from the French by Mark Hutchinson.

I  came across this little figure rather late in life. Not being familiar with playing cards, still less with the tarot, I was uncomfortable when I first set eyes on him. I believe in magic figures and distrust them. They have powers. A color can derail a train.

One day a friend called Michel gave me a tarot pack. Some friends play a peculiar role in your life. You think…