Learn English Through Story 🔥| English Audio Podcast | The Lost Love | English 5Days

There was once a baker who had a shop in a small town in America. This baker was not a very kind man. He never gave his customers any more bread than necessary for their money, and he never smiled. But he was a very good baker. His bread was the softest bread that you could imagine. Sometimes customers paid for their bread and started eating it there in the shop, and his cakes—so yummies! His cakes were really delicious. People came to his shop from all over the town. When they walked down the street, they smelled the baker's wonderful bread and his delicious cakes, and they walked right into his shop. But not everyone came inside. Some people just stood outside the shop, smelling and looking in through the windows. The baker didn't like this. Their stomachs are full of the smell of my bread. I'm giving them a free lunch, and I get nothing for my hard work, he said to himself. Perhaps there's some way to put those delicious smell in bottles. Then I can sell them, just like I sell my bread. One winter morning, very early, the baker was in his shop and making bread. He wasn't singing happily while he worked. He was complaining to himself about getting up early, about the cold weather, and about anything that came into his head. In the middle of all this, he looked up and saw someone looking in through the window. It was a young man wearing an old coat. He was looking at the baker's bread, and he was hungry. He was smelling the fresh bread, and smiling. When the baker saw him, he felt very angry. That thief outside my shop has a stomach full of the smell of my bread. It's a free breakfast. I get nothing for my hard work while he steals my smells. The man didn't move. He just stood there, closed his eyes, and smelt the fresh bread happily. The baker was really angry now. He walked across the shop, opened the door, and shouted at the man. Pay me! Pay you for what? asked the young man in great surprise. For the smells that you've stolen, replied the baker. But I've stolen nothing. I'm only smelling the air. Air is free. said the hungry young man. It's not free when it's full of the smells from my shop, replied the baker. Pay me now, or I'll call the police. When the young man didn't pay, the baker took him by the coat and pulled him through the snow to the judge's house. He knocked on the door. After a long time, the judge opened the door in his nightclothes. He looked at the baker and the hungry young man standing outside in the street. It was six o'clock in the morning. What could be so important so early in the day? This man is a thief. He stole the smells from my shop, said the baker. The judge was surprised. But all he said was, Come in and tell me your story, but first give me time to dress myself. He went back into the house. After a few minutes, he came back and he took them inside. They all sat down together round a large table. All right, tell me everything. Baker, you start, said the judge. He listened quietly. First, the baker told him all about the hungry man who stole all his smells. The judge went on listening. Then the young man told him that air was free and that any man could have as much as he wanted. When they finished telling their stories, the judge was silent for a few minutes. The baker started telling him again of how the other man took all his smells without paying. Stop, be quiet. I've decided what we'll do, said the judge. Young man, do you have any money? The young man put his hand in his pocket and took out a few coins. He showed them to the judge and said, Sir, this is all the money that I have in the world. Give those coins to me, said the judge. The young man put them into the judge's hand. I've listened carefully to both your stories, began the judge. It's true that the smells were coming out of the baker's shop, and these smells belonged to the baker. And it's also true that this young man took those smells without paying for them. And so I say that the young man has to pay the baker for the smells that he took. The baker smiled, perhaps for the very first time in his life. He held out his hand at once for the money. But the judge didn't give him the coins. Baker, listen and listen carefully, he said. He shook the coins in his hands and they clinked together. That can pay for the smells, he said to the baker. Give me my coins, sir, said the baker, not smiling anymore. No, said the judge. I've decided that the sound of money is the best way to pay for the smell of bread. And with that, he gave the coins back to the poor young man and told him to go home. The Baker's Miserable Character The baker is portrayed as a very skilled but unkind man. He hoards his pleasant smells, believing they should only be enjoyed by paying customers, and he's never seen smiling. His obsession with profit and his resentment toward those who merely enjoy the scents from outside his shop drive the conflict in the story. The young man in the story is depicted as someone who appreciates life's simple pleasures, like the smell of fresh bread. He argues that air is free and he hasn't stolen anything. He represents a more carefree and open-hearted approach to life. He argues that air is free. The judge's decision to use the sound of money to pay for the smell of bread is a clever twist. It emphasizes the idea that sometimes we become too possessive and lose sight of the intangible joys in life, like the sound of clinking coins. Moral lesson of the story conveys a moral lesson about greed, possessiveness, and the value of experiences. It highlights how we can become so fixated on material gain that we overlook the simple pleasures around us, which can be just as important. Overall, The Thief of Smell is a short and entertaining story that encourages readers to appreciate life's sensory experiences and consider the value of intangible moments of joy, symbolism of smells. The story uses the sense of smell as a symbolic element. The baker's obsession with guarding his smells represents possessiveness and greed. Meanwhile, the hungry young man represents innocence and the ability to find joy in the small things in life. Ironically, the baker's obsession with profiting from his smells ends up causing him to lose money rather than gain it. His attempt to charge the young man for the smells ultimately backfires when the judge returns the coins to the young man. The judge in the story is portrayed as wise and fair. His decision to use the sound of money to pay for the smell of bread showcases his ability to see beyond material possessions and understand the intangible value of sensory experiences. The story has a light-hearted and humorous tone. Despite the baker's anger and seriousness, the judge's clever resolution adds a touch of humor to the story's message. The thief of smell indirectly comments on consumerism and the idea that some people value profit over all else. It suggests that a more balanced approach to life, one that allows for simple pleasures and shared experiences, can lead to greater happiness. While set in a small American town, the story's themes of possessiveness, appreciation for simple pleasures, and the consequences of greed are universal and can resonate with readers from various cultures and time periods. In summary, The Thief of Smell is a short, thought-provoking story that uses symbolism and a clever twist to deliver its message about the importance of appreciating life's simple joys and the potential pitfalls of excessive possessiveness.