A Baker Man | Learn English Through Stories | Improve Communication Skills

Summary

In a small town, a baker grows frustrated with people who stand outside his shop enjoying the smell of his delicious bread without paying. One winter morning, he accuses a hungry young man of stealing the smells and drags him to the judge. After hearing both sides, the judge rules that the young man must pay, but instead of using money, the payment should be the sound of coins. The judge returns the money to the young man, leaving the baker to reconsider the absurdity of his claim and the value of intangible things.

Takeaways

• 😀 The baker is skilled at making soft, delicious bread, but he is not a kind man and is very focused on making money.
• 😀 The smell of the bread and cakes from the baker's shop attracts many people, but some customers just stand outside to enjoy the scent.
• 😀 The baker grows upset by the fact that people enjoy his smells for free, leading him to consider ways to bottle and sell the scents.
• 😀 One cold winter morning, the baker becomes angry when he sees a young man standing outside his shop, enjoying the smell of his fresh bread.
• 😀 The baker accuses the young man of stealing the smell of his bread and demands payment for it.
• 😀 The young man argues that he has not stolen anything and that the air, including the smells, is free to everyone.
• 😀 The baker forcibly drags the young man to the judge's house, where they present their sides of the story.
• 😀 The judge listens to both the baker and the young man, acknowledging that the smells from the baker's shop belong to him.
• 😀 The judge decides that the young man must pay the baker for the smells, but instead of using money, he decrees that the sound of coins is the best payment for the smell of bread.
• 😀 In the end, the judge returns the coins to the young man, and he is allowed to go home, leaving the baker to reflect on the absurdity of his request.

Q & A

Why was the baker upset with the young man outside his shop?

The baker was upset because the young man was standing outside the shop, smelling the fresh bread and cakes without buying anything. The baker felt he was losing money as the man was enjoying the smell for free, which the baker considered a form of theft.

What solution did the baker come up with for the problem of people smelling his bread without buying it?

The baker thought of bottling the delicious smells from his shop so he could sell them just like his bread, thus ensuring he would make money from the smells as well.

How did the baker react when he saw the young man outside his shop?

The baker became very angry, thinking that the young man was 'stealing' the smells of his bread without paying for them. He pulled the man by his coat and dragged him to the judge.

What was the young man's reaction when the baker accused him of stealing the smells?

The young man was surprised and confused, responding that he had done nothing wrong, as he was only smelling the air, which he believed was free.

What did the judge say when he first heard the baker's complaint?

The judge was surprised but did not immediately dismiss the baker's complaint. He invited both the baker and the young man inside and listened to their stories before making a decision.

What was the judge's verdict regarding the baker's claim?

The judge ruled that the young man had taken the smells from the bakery without paying, and he ordered the young man to pay for the smells.

How did the judge decide to resolve the issue of payment for the smells?

The judge decided that the sound of money, symbolized by the coins, was the best form of payment for the smells of the bread. He did not give the coins to the baker but returned them to the young man.

What moral lesson can be inferred from the judge's decision?

The moral lesson could be that not everything can be compensated in the same way or in material terms. Sometimes, the value of an action, like enjoying the smell of bread, cannot be quantified with money, and the solution may lie in symbolic gestures rather than tangible exchanges.

Why did the judge ask the young man to give up his money?

The judge took the young man's coins to demonstrate that, although the young man technically owed the baker for the smells, the money itself could not truly be a payment for something intangible like a smell. Instead, the sound of coins clinking was deemed an appropriate 'payment' for the situation.

How did the baker react to the judge's ruling?

The baker smiled briefly when the judge announced the young man owed him payment, but his smile faded when the judge explained that the coins would not be given to him, showing his disappointment with the unconventional resolution.