The Baker's Surprise

Old Mr. Hendricks had the best bakery in the whole town. But he had a problem — nobody was buying his bread. Not because it was bad. Oh no, his bread was the most delicious anyone had ever tasted — golden crust, soft inside, with just a hint of honey. But the storefront was tucked behind the old town square where nobody walked anymore. Mr. Hendricks stood in his bakery window day after day, watching the empty street. "Maybe I should move to the market," he muttered. "Maybe I should advertise. Maybe I should bake bigger loaves. Maybe I should—" One morning, Mr. Hendricks woke up to the sound of knocking. He opened his door and found a line of people standing in the street — the very street that had been empty for years. "We've come for bread!" said a mother with three children. "Your bakery saved us!" said a farmer. Mr. Hendricks was confused. "But... but nobody told you about me. Nobody comes down this street!" A little girl tugged on his apron. "Didn't you know? The king told us." "The king?" Mr. Hendricks nearly fell over. "The king sent you?" "Yes," said the little girl. "He said, 'There's a baker on the quiet street who's been working so hard and nobody knows. Go to him. I chose him. I want you to taste what he makes.'" Mr. Hendricks stood there with tears in his eyes. The king hadn't just opened the door for the customers. The king had "chosen" his little bakery, on the quiet street, before anyone had ever walked down it. And when the time was right, the king himself brought the people to his door. He didn't find the customers. The King brought them to him. And from that day on, Mr. Hendricks baked with joy — not because he was trying to earn the king's favor, but because the king had already shown him unspeakable favor first.