"Gimpel the Fool" (1953) is a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, translated into English by Saul Bellow in 1953.

It tells the story of Gimpel, a simple bread maker who is the butt of many of his town's jokes.

Throughout the story Elka commits numerous infidelities and eventually has six children, none of whom are Gimpel's.

The Spirit of Evil The devil appears to Gimpel the baker and tells him to urinate in the bread intended for the village in order to get revenge for the many injustices the villagers have forced him to endure over the years.

He destroys the tainted bread and becomes a homeless wanderer; at night he talks with the spirit of Elka.