The Princess and the Real Loaf of Bread

Once upon a time there was a kingdom where the people absolutely loved bread. It was ruled by King Baguette III and his daughter, Princess Ciabatta. King Baguette was very enlightened and attentive to the needs of his subjects, but his daughter was spoiled, capricious and haughty. She was used to being served and never said thank you. King Baguette was upset at her behavior, and he was also afraid that she wouldn’t be a good ruler when he was gone. So he decided to test her: he told her to bring him “a real loaf of bread.”

The princess set off on her quest. First, she went to a chef who gave her a loaf that he’d bought at a bakery. But when she took it to her father, he looked at her hands and said: “This is not a real loaf of bread.” So the princess went to a witch, who gave her grains of wheat. The princess planted them and after 120 days she harvested the wheat, ground it into flour and baked a loaf of bread. She also gave the wheat that was left over to the baker’s son. When she’d finished, she was tired, her hands were red and her back hurt, but her heart was full of happiness. And this time, the king declared that his daughter had brought him a real loaf of bread and told her that she was worthy to rule after him.

This delightful modern fairytale is full of insights, and is also a journey of self-discovery. The heroine changes and proves her ability to her father and to herself.