The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is a children's picturebook illustrated by Uri Shulevitz that retells an Eastern European fairy tale of the same name.

When the Fool opened his bag, he was surprised to find "fresh white rolls and cooked meats," as well as "corn brandy," which he shared.

The old man instructed the Fool to hit a tree with his hatchet to create a flying ship, but advised him to give a ride to everyone he met.

[3] After making and flying his ship, the Fool picked up the Listener (who could hear very faint sounds), the Swift-goer (who could walk across the world in one step), the Far-shooter (who could hit a bird hundreds of miles away), the Eater (who could consume great quantities of food), the Drinker (who could swallow more than a lake at one time), a man carrying sticks of wood that could become soldiers, and a man carrying straw that could make everything cold.

"[1] However, the text has been criticized because the lead character has mental retardation that is "unrealistic" in that "he is magically cured from his simple mindedness and becomes highly respected by the people.