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I made a playlist of Juan Bobo videos. Sometimes videos for kids are blocked from playlists, so here are some more videos NOT in the playlist:

Foolish Juan

Juan Bobo Sends the Pig to Mass

Juan Bobo Has a Sleepover

Juan Bobo and the Fortune Teller

Juan Bobo and the 3-Legged Pot

Juan Bobo and the Cooking Pot - Juan Bobo y el Caldero

Aventuras de Juan Bobo

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To browse this Padlet slide by slide, start the slides here and use the arrows in the upper right-hand corner of each slide to navigate.

You can close the slide view and return to the main page by clicking the X in the upper left-hand corner of each slide.

To open any post in slide view, use the 3-dot menu in the upper right-hand corner of each post, and choose "Open Post."

The Padlet is also available as a PDF file (last updated: June 1).

You will find more Padlet tips at the bottom of this column, and if you have questions or need help, you can comment on this post or on any of the other posts... or contact Laura at laurakgibbs@gmail.com.

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In addition to this YouTube video, there is a very detailed online essay: The Psychology of the Fool, a wide-ranging survey of fool traditions including the following topics: The Wise Fool, The Fool as Truth-Teller, The Fool as Hero, The Dark Side of The Fool, and The Holy Fool, and much more besides.

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The folkloric fool may or may not be wise in their own way: Wikipedia: Fool. See also Wikipedia: Simpleton.

There is also an article on fools who are wise: Wikipedia: Wise Fool.

Shakespeare included some famous fools in his plays; find out more at Wikipedia: Shakespearean Fool.

The image is Denslow's illustration of a nursery rhymes about the so-called "Wise Men of Gotham" who are famous fools in the English tradition.

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This Resources Padlet is part of the "Wisdom of Fools" track for MYFest24. Find out more at the website: The Wisdom of Fools. You will find links there to the Story of the Day, Creative Activities, and our shared Gallery.

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Click here to subscribe to the Wise Fools daily email (you can use the same form to unsubscribe).

[Purple mailbox by coolarts223 at deviantart.]

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You can read about Nasruddin at Wikipedia.

Here is a list of Nasruddin books at the Internet Archive: there are 29 books, full of Nasruddin stories!

In addition, you can also find Nasruddin stories in these collections:

Islamic Wisdom

Caravan of Dreams

The Sufis

Plays from Folktales

The Delights of Turkey

Tiny Tales from the Sufis

Stories from the Muslim world

More One-minute Nonsense

If you are curious, here is the oldest Nasruddin book published in English; it's from 1884: The Turkish Jester (at Project Gutenberg).

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Another folkloric wise-fool in Arabic storytelling traditions is named Goha. You will see that many Nasruddin stories are told as Goha stories! Here are the Goha books you can read at the Archive:

Goha, the Wise Fool

Goha and His Donkey

Tales of Goha

Goha the Fool (novel)

Juha, Last of the Errant Knights (novel)

Part II of The Garden of Joys (pp.114-140) is devoted to Joha stories.

Section 5 of Classical Arabic Stories (pp. 189-206) features Juha stories.

There are also lots of Goha stories in various anthologies.

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In addition to the Goha books at the Archive, here is a list of Goha stories you can read in various anthologies:

English-language stories:

1001 Nights: The Master of Shifts and Laughter

Egyptian and Sudanese Folktales: Karakosh and Goha

Canoe Errant on the Nile: Stories of Goha the Simpleton

Egyptian Folktales: What Will People Say / Goha the Wise / There's Always a Means / To Pay through the Nose / Forty Days Hath Ramadan

Fun and Festival from the Middle East: Goha Stories

That'd Be Telling: Goha in the Restaurant / Goha's Guest / Goha and the Eggs

At the Edge: Goha and His Lost Donkey / The Proverbial Nail / The Falling Gown / The Problem of Nothing / The Fat Sheep

Finish Line Reading: Goha and the Cooking Pot

Anthology of Traditional Literature: Goha and the King

Read for the Fun of It: The Lost Donkey / The Money Tree

Trickster Tales: Two Legs or One?

Arabic Proverbs: Goha's Water Wheel / Goha's Cap / Goha's Trunk / Goha's Sheep

Eastern Love: A Quick Child

Laughing Together: Abu el Nawas and Goha

The Middle East Bedside Book: Joha the Joker

The Peasant and the Donkey: Juha and the Dispute over a Donkey / Juha at the Banquet

1001 Proverbs from Tunisia: Like Juha's Nail

The Story Giant: Djuha Stories

Arab Folktales: Stories of Djuha

In the Tradition of Moses and Mohammed: Djuha Tales

Young People's Stories of Respect: Djuha's Sleeve

Uncommon Tales Around the World: Djuha's Meat Disappears / Djuha and the Donkey

Bilingual Arabic-English:

Arabic Stories: Juha and the Police Officer / Juha and the Thief / Juha and His Donkey

Humor And Moroccan Culture: Don't Give Me Advice / Who Are You Going to Trust?

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Gofa stories became Giufà stories in Sicily; you can read about Giufà at Wikipedia.

Here are some Giufà stories:

Italian Popular Tales: Five Giufà Stories

Italian Folktales: Six Giufà Stories

Life and Manners: Three Giufà Stories

Sweet Lemons: A Sicilian Giufà Story

Noodlehead Stories: Giufà and the Judge

The Fairy Tale Tree: How Poor Giufà Paid His Debts

The Simpleton of Naples: Simpleton of Naples (a Giufà variation)

The Disobedient Eels: The Case Against the Flies

The Priceless Cats: King Clothes

Let's Read! Eat, My Clothes!

Reading Success: Giufà's Fancy Coat (the story shown in the post image)

The Wine-dark Sea: Giufà

The Keeper of Ruins: Death of Giufà (a modern story)

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In Jewish storytelling traditions, one of the most famous wise fools is named Joha, and, yes, he shares many stories with Goha. You can find 300 Joha stories in Matilda Koen-Sarano's book, Folktales of Joha: Jewish Trickster.

Another Joha book at the Archive is Joha Makes A Wish.

You can also find Joha stories in these anthologies:

Because God Loves Stories: The Sound of Work / The Talking Mule

Chosen Tales: Going Along with Joha

The Cow of No Color: The Sound of Work

World Literature: Joha and the Peasant

Jewish Moroccan Folk Narratives: Juha Sells His House

The Power of Song: What Joha Needed

The Jewish Spirit: Djuha Seeks a Bride

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You can borrow The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol, a book by Eric Kimmel with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. (For some insight into Kimmel's work, see this interview: Notes from a Jewish Storyteller.)

You can find Hershele stories in these anthologies:

Joshua Salisbury Family Book: The Quips and Pranks of Hershele Ostropolyer

While Standing on One Foot: Hershel and the Nobleman

A Sampler of Jewish-American Folklore: Some Hershele Tales

Best-Loved Folktales of the World: When Hershel Eats

A Treasury of Jewish Folklore: A Quick Prayer / Tales of Hershel Ostropolier

One-Hundred-and-One Jewish Read-Aloud Stories: Hershel from Ostropol

Eight Tales for Eight Nights: How to Sell a Menorah

The Spotted Pony: When Hershel Eats

The Hungry Clothes: A Trickster Teaches a Lesson

The Big Book of Jewish Humor: Hershele Ostropoler

Trickster Tales: Hershele's Feast

Ten Traditional Jewish Children's Stories: What My Father Did / Half Price to Leitshev

What Is a Jewish Joke? Two Hershele Stories / Hershele's New Clothes

Folktales: The Mysterious Painting

Four Hasidic Masters: Hershele Ostropoler

The Schlemiel Comes to America: Hershel's New Coat

You can read about this Jewish folk hero at Wikipedia: Hershel of Ostropol.

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Another jester and wise-fool in the Jewish tradition is Motke Chabad. You can read more at Wikipedia: Motke Chabad. Here are some Motke stories:

Jewish Humor in America: Motke and the Fire

Jewish Wit and Wisdom: Motke the Drinker / Motke the Liar

Laughs from Jewish Lore: Motke Chabad

Joshua Salisbury Family Book: Motke the Schlemiel / The Miracle

An Anthology of Jewish Humor and Maxims: When Motke Fell Down

A Treasury of Jewish Folklore: Motke and the Noodles

The Big Book of Jewish Humor: Motke and the Kugel

What is a Jewish Joke? When We Die

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The Village of Chelm is full of fools, and it has a wise sage too. You can read about this tradition at Wikipedia: Wise Men of Chelm.

You can find many books of Chelm stories at the Internet Archive (22 books at last count).

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Most of the online books referenced here are available at the Internet Archive. Just create a free account at the Archive and you can borrow books to read online for one hour at a time! (If no one else is waiting on the book, you can renew it hour by hour.)

I've created some lists of Internet Archive books that are related to "wise fool" traditions around the world; it defaults to the Nasruddin list, and you can see the other lists down the left-hand column. If you'd like to make your own lists at the Internet Archive, keeping track of books that are of interest to you, here's how: Basic Guide to Lists.

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This wonderful website has some relevant articles, including Seemingly Profound Fool, Kindhearted Simpleton, Simpleminded Wisdom, The Fool, Fearless Fool, Too Dumb to Fool, Cloudcuckoolander, etc.

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You can read about Juan Bobo at Wikipedia.

Here is a list of Juan Bobo books at the Archive. There are 13 books there, plus a list of stories below. I've also collected some bilingual Juan Bobo stories and some Juan Bobo stories in Spanish only. I also made a Juan Bobo YouTube playlist.

Here are the Juan Bobo in English-language anthologies:

Folktales of the Antilles: Juan Bobo

Folklore from Puerto Rico: Juan Bobo

Joining In: Juan Bobo and Sisi

Stories We Brought with Us: Juan Bobo and the Pot

The King of the Mountains: Juan Bobo and Old Tiger

Noodlehead Stories: Juan Bobo

Tales of the Western World: Juan Bobo

The Tiger and the Rabbit: Juan Bobo

Classic Caribbean Stories: Juan Bobo Goes to Market

Reading, An American Tradition: Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace

Cinderella in America: Juan Bobo and the Riddling Princess

Puerto Rican Folktales: Juan Bobo, the Sow, and the Chicks / The Cauldron / The Princess Who Answered Riddles

More Ready-to-tell Tales: Juan Bobo's Pig

Allyn & Bacon Anthology: Juan Bobo

Multicultural Plays: Juan Bobo and the Sunday Pig

Folk Tales for Beginning Readers: Plays: Juan Bobo Comes Home

Tales from Hispanic Lands: Juan Bobo

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Here is a list of Juan Bobo books, which includes both Juan Bobo Busca Trabajo & Juan Bobo Goes to Work. The book Juan Bobo Sends the Pig to Mass is bilingual.

Plus, you can find bilingual Juan Bobo stories in these anthologies:

Stories from Puerto Rico = Historias de Puerto Rico: Juan Bobo

Stories from Latin America = Historias de Latinoamérica: The Adventures of Juan Bobo

The Emerald Lizard = La Lagartíja Esmeralda: Juan Bobo

Latino Read-aloud Stories: Juan Bobo, El Rico

Cuentos Para Todos / Tales for Everybody: La Apuesta / The Bet

El Romance de Don Gato: Juan Bobo y la Olla de tres patas / Señor Cat's Romance: Juan Bobo and the Three-Legged Pot

Cuentos que Contaban Nuestras Abuelas: Juan Bobo / Tales Our Abuelitas Told: Juan Bobo

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There is an important collection of Juan Bobo stories published in the American Folklore Journal: Juan Bobo Part 1 (56 stories) and Juan Bobo Part 2 (14 stories)

You can find Juan Bobo in these Spanish-language anthologies:

Leyendas Latinoamericanas: Las Aventuras de Juan Bobo

Español Práctico: Juan Bobo

Cuéntame: Juan Bobo y el caldero

Literatura Infantil Venezolana: La fiesta de Juan Bobo

Cuentos Picarescos: Juan Bobo y el secreto de la Princesa

Ven Conmigo: Juan Bobo va a oir misa

Contemporary Latin-American Literature: Juan Bobo va a oir misa

Cuento Folklórico en Venezuela: Cuento de Juan Bobo

Literatura Infantil Iberoamericana: Juan Bobo

Cuentos Populares Hispánicos: Juan Bobo

Voces de Latino America: Juan Bobo y Pedro Artimana / Juan Bobo y la Princesa Adivinadora / Juan Bobo y el miedo

Spanish for Mastery: Las aventuras de Juan Bobo

Cuentos Folkloricos Latinoamericanos: El Lento Mato a Cuatro / Juan Bobo y la puerca

Las Criptas de Kaua: La Princesa Advinadora

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You can read María Cristina Brusca's Pedro Fools the Gringo at the Internet Archive.

More about this folk hero at Wikipedia: Pedro Urdemales.

If you can read Spanish, here are 20 Pedro de Urdemalas stories published in the American Journal of Folklore.

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Amelia Bedelia is a fictional character in children's books writtten by Peggy Parish and also by her nephew, Herman Parish. Like a folkloric fool, she takes instructions very literally. Find out more at Wikipedia: Amelia Bedelia.

There are many Amelia Bedelia books at the Internet Archive.

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This archived page from the UIUC Center for Children's Books provides an overview of the "Jack Tale" tradition: The Folklore Tradition of Jack Tales.

See also Annotated Index of Appalachian Folktales: Jack Tales.

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This webpage provides some examples of "wise fools" along with many links to explore. Topics covered include: Noodlehead stories; The Foolish Towns of Gotham and Chelm, Tyl Eulenspiegel, and Nasruddin.

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This is an online essay that Laura wrote many years ago... but it's still online! Life of Aesop: The Wise Fool and the Philosopher.

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This is a very brief video about The Wise Fool, especially Socrates. For more from this same source, see The Psychology of the Fool.

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Ed Simon's essay, The Lost Art of Not Knowing Something, is a review of a book about Socrates (Ward Farnsworth’s The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook), but it is also a great introduction to the intersection of philosophy and the "wise fool," such as Socrates.

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In addition to being a teller-of-fables, Aesop was also famous for being a "wise fool" and provocateur, similar in many ways to Nasruddin. Many of the stories told about Aesop are found in an ancient novel called "The Life of Aesop," or "The Aesop Romance." Find out more at Wikipedia: Aesop.

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At Laura's site, TinyTales.LauraGibbs.net, you can find these 3 books which have stories about Nasruddin and other wise fools from the Middle East and India:

Tiny Tales of Nasruddin

Tiny Tales from the Sufis

Tiny Tales from India

The books are available as free epub downloads, and there is free audio too.

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You can read all of Idries Shah's Nasruddin books at the Idries Shah Foundation website; you cannot download them, but you can read them at the website.

In addition to his Nasruddin books — The World of Nasrudin, The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin, The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin, and The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin — you can find many other collections of Sufi stories there, and there is also a chapter about Nasruddin stories in his book The Sufis.

You can find out more about Idries Shah at Wikipedia.

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This is a selection of ancient Greek jokes translated into English:

45 Jokes from The Laughter Lover

(The Diotima site is no longer online, but a copy of the webpage exists at the Wayback Machine.)

You can read more here: Philogelos The Laugh Addict.

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The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20160721020144/http://www.stoa.org:80/diotima/anthology/quinn_jokes.shtml Philogelos (The Laughter Lover) is a collection of some 265 jokes[1], likely made in the fourth or fifth century CE. Some manuscripts give the names of the compilers as the otherwise-unknown Hierocles and Philagrios. Other manuscripts drop the name of one or other or both.

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You can read more about this German folk hero and "wise fool" at Wikipedia: Till Eulenspiegel. He is also a hero of Flemish folklore: Wikipedia: Thyl Ulenspiegel.

Here is a list of Eulenspiegel books in English at the Internet Archive, and there is also a play: Merry Tyll, and this book chapter: Ulenspiegel's Tricky Power.

Below is a list of Till Eulenspiegel stories in anthologies:

Till Eulenspiegel and the Men of Schilda

Till Eulenspiegel and His Practical Jokes

Music Box: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Till Eulenspiegel and His Practical Jokes

Till Eulenspiegel

Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Till Eulenspiegel the Prankster

Eulenspiegel at Castle Dasburg

Tyl Eulenspiegel and the Marvelous Painting

A Prankster Fools One and All

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Here are two big anthologies of "fools" around the world... and sometimes those fools might be wiser than you expect!

Noodlehead Stories from Around the World by by M.A. Jagendorf.

The Book of Noodles. by W. A. Clouston

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This is an English translation of the world's oldest surviving jokebook: Philogelos: The Laugh Addict, translated by William Berg.

Here is another translation: The Jests of Hierocles and Philagrius

You can find out more at Wikipedia: Philogelos. There is also a Wikipedia with some jokes from ancient Rome: Wikipedia: Roman Jokes.

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Birbal is more of a wise courtier than a fool, but he also plays the role of a court jester at times; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Birbal.

I've made a list of Birbal books at the Archive, including comic books (17 at last count).

A. K. Ramanujan's Folktales from India book has Akbar and Birbal stories,.

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You can read about Tenali Rama at Wikipedia, and here is a list of Tenali Rama books at the Internet Archive (18 at last count!).

These anthologies contain Tenalirama stories; I've made a separate list of the comic books and magazines:

365 Bedtime Stories: Tenali (stories 167-194)

Laughing Matters (many Tenali Rama stories throughout):

Asian Laughter: Tales about Tenali Rama

Folktales from India: How Tenali Rama Became a Jester / Tenali Rama's Ramayana / Tenali Rama's Art / Tenali Rama's Dream / Tenali Rama and the Brahmans.

Norton Anthology of Hinduism: Two Tenali Rama Stories

Textbook for Class 3: How Tenali Rama Became a Jester

Ohio Learning Outcomes: Water from the Wells

Best of Moral Stories: Tenali Raman's New Appointment

The Book of Kali: Tenali Raman and Kali

Terrific Trickster Tales from Asia: The Well

r2i Dreams: Tenali Rama and the Eggplants

Children's Stories in Play Therapy: How Tenali Rama Became a Jester

Mind Is Your Own Business: Tenali Ramakrishna the Jester

Business Ethics: Tenali Rama and the Banquet

Stories from India: The Goddess with Her Hands Full

Telling Tales from Asia: Tenali Rama the Painter

A Poem at the Right Moment: The King with One Eye / Tenali Rama and the Scribe

The Tenth Rasa: Goat's Tail

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These are Tenali Rama stories in comics and magazines:

Men of Wit: Tenali Rama

The Angry King

Made of Moonlight

The Jester and the Bandit

His Majesty's Horse

The Two Turbans

The King's Portrait

A Strange Horse

A Way to Die

Tenali Rama in the Battlefield

Tenali Rama at the Palace Gate

The Miracle Seed

For Sake of the Dear Departed

The Jester and the Priest

To Catch a Thief

Debts Overdue

Tenali Rama Atones

Enlightening Diwali

Tenali Raman Outwits the Thieves

Tenali Rama and the Thieves

Tenalirama and the Proud King

The Dog's Tail

Tenalirama Catches the Thief

Two Foot Smoke

Dog and Horse

Tenalirama and the Brinjal

Tenali Rama and the Red Peacock

Tenali Rama Stories

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Gopal Bhar is a jester from the Bengali tradition; you can find out more at Wikipedia: Gopal Bhar.

There are several Gopal books at the Archive:

Gopal the Jester (Wilco)

Gopal the Jester (Amar Chitra Katha)

Fat Gopal

Matchless Wits: Tenali Rama and Gopal

Some stories:

Folktales from India: Gopal Bhar the Star-Counter / Gopal Bhar Cures a Dreamer

The Thief of Love: Gopal the Straw-counter / Gopal and the Bull

The Mythology of Sleep: Gopal Bhar Cures a Dreamer

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"Uncle Tompa" is a folk hero, trickster, and teacher in the Tibetan tradition. You can find out more at Wikipedia: Akhu Tönpa.

At the Internet Archive you can read this book: Tales of Uncle Tompa: Legendary Rascal Of Tibet by Rinjing Dorje.

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This full-length documentary tells the story of Chogyam Trunpa, an explonent of the "crazy wisdom" of Tibetan Buddhism: Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

For more about this tradition, see Wikipedia: Nyönpa.

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Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche | Full Documentary Movie

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This Wikipedia article describes court jester traditions across many cultures: Wikipedia: Jester.

This Wikipedia article surveys the history of clowns and clowning going all the way back to ancient Egypt: Wikipedia: Clown.

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Some stories of "foolish wisdom" are based on riddles and paradoxes; find out more:

Wikipedia: Riddles

Wikipedia: Paradox

Wikipedia: Koan

We have an Internet Archive bookshelf of riddle books, and here is more information about the Zen koan tradition, a centuries-old practice based on hundreds of riddling questions that might seem foolish... at first.

In addition, here are some traditional folktales featuring riddles and foolish wisdom:

Cinderella in America: Juan Bobo and the Riddling Princess / Puerto Rican Folktales: The Princess Who Answered Riddles

World of Nasrudin: A Question of Nature - Talking in Gestures - Mullah Nasruddin: Three Renowned Scholars

Riddling Tales: Why the Fish Laughed - Tyl Eulenspiegel and the Wager - King John and the Abbot of Canterbury - A Pottle o' Brains - The Cleverest Youth in Town - Hodja

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The "holy fool" figures in many religious traditions in the world, especially in Christianity, where some have been canonized as saints. See Wikipedia: Foolishness for Christ. See also the article on divine madness as found in many religions of the world: Wikipedia: Divine Madness.

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The Fool is one of the cards in the Tarot deck. You can find out more at Wikipedia: The Fool (tarot card).

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Marcolf was a "wise fool" who debated with King Solomon; you can read about this medieval literary tradition at Wikipedia: Solomon and Marcolf.

The image above is a print from the British Museum.

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Wikipedia: Don Quixote

The illustration is by John Doyle at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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The Internet Archive has multiple copies of Jaroslav Hašek's novel, The Good Soldier Schweik.

You can read about this novel at Wikipedia: The Good Soldier Švejk.

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vintage photo of Emperor Norton from Wikipedia

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If you've ever visited San Francisco, then you'll want to learn about Norton I, Emperor of the United States, who ruled his empire from San Francisco. Here is the Wikipedia article, plus a Gallery post about him.

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This film about a wise fool won 6 Academy awards, including Best Picture. Find out more: Wikipedia: Forrest Gump.

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This film about an autistic savant won several Academy awards, including Best Picture. More at Wikipedia: Rain Man.

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This is a thoughtful article about an old children's book, Epaminondas and His Auntie, which takes a traditional fool's tale and tells it in a racist way, with racist illustrations; you can read about that here: Understanding the Book Epaminondas and His Auntie.

There's also an article at Wikipedia: Epaminondas (children's story).

In England, a whole series of Epaminondas books was published, written in dialect and with deeply racist illustrations; you can see one of those at the Internet Archive (see the last page of the book for titles of other books in the British series): Epaminondas Helps in the House. The original editions are not dated, but some of these books were published as recently as the 1950s and 1960s in England.

There is a newer version of the book which is less overtly racist, and it features lovely illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman... but the continued use of the mocking name Epaminondas for the little boy perpetuates a naming tradition that keeps the story trapped in a racist context of enslavement, despite the best intentions of the author, Eve Merriam, and the illustrator. You can see a video of that book at the Internet Archive: Epaminondas retold by Eve Merriam.

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This wise-fool character first appeared on American TV as part of the Andy Griffith show, and then had his own series: Wikipedia: Gomer Pyle.

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cover of The Lessons of Zen shwoing Mt. Fuji

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The Zen tradition is full of stories about "wise fools," Zen teachers with unconventional teaching methods, and one of the most famous of those teaching methods is the koan, which is something like a riddle. You can read about koans at Wikipedia, and on our Zen bookshelf at the Internet Archive, you will find these books about koans:

The Zen Koan

Zen Koans

Unlocking the Zen Koan

The Gateless Barrier

Passing Through the Gateless Barrier

No Barrier

Pointing at the Moon

The Sound of the One Hand

Opening a Mountain

Two Arrows Meeting in Mid-air

Bring Me the Rhinoceros

The Blue Cliff Record

The Lessons of Zen

Attaining Enlightenment

Zen Buddhism

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Here is a link to Wonderful Fool by Shusaku Endo.

You can also read about this novel at Wikipedia: Wonderful Fool.

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There are many "wise fools" in the Zen tradition, including Ryokan, whose name itself means "Great Fool" — you can find out more at Wikipedia: Ryōkan, and here are some books and chapters about Ryokan at the Internet Archive:

Books:

Great Fool: Zen Master Ryōkan

Ryōkan, Zen Monk-poet of Japan

Dewdrops on a Lotus Leaf: Zen Poems

One Robe, One Bowl: Zen Poetry

Chapters:

Ryōkan in The Roaring Stream

The Great Fool of Immense Tolerance in Zen Buddhism for Everyone

Daigu Ryokan in Zen Master Class

Ryōkan in Shapers of Japanese Buddhism

Ryokan Daigu in Zen Masters of Japan