Story Time...

Grab your cup of tea (or coffee) and gather round for it’s story time and I LOVE this one.

1911.

Czechoslovakia.

An old castle burns down.

However, a local eccentric guy named Josef, who loves everything about the medieval days, buys it.

He restores the castle, fills it with antiques, and even smuggles a real suit of armor out of France for himself to wear.

Now…nothing can stop him from becoming a real knight.

Josef opens his fortress for school trips, welcoming children while on horseback and dressed in his suit of armor. Rumor has it a wooden crocodile even lived in his moat. Beloved by everyone, he’s affectionately called “Bearded Dad” and “The Last Knight” by the locals.

As the years go by, everyone considers him a real life Don Quixote, for he personifies all the qualities of a noble knight.

Josef got older, yet remained dedicated to his role. He treated everyone with kindness and generosity and a visitor to his castle was never turned away, declaring all knights must be brave and honest.

Then, in 1938...he learned the Nazis were coming.

He donned his suit of armor, mounted his horse, and rode off to stop the German tanks, blocking the road to prevent them from invading his beloved country.

A bit puzzled at first by the sight of the knight on his steed, the Germans laughed at Josef before pushing the old man out of the way. Nobody knows why the Nazis didn’t kill him, but locals say they couldn’t help but feel some respect for his bravery.

Josef Menčík died on November 19th, 1945...some say of a broken heart.

*Cue musical number*