Behind the mountains and valleys was a small village. In the village lived people whose love had long since left their hearts, except for one boy, George, who lived with his mother in a cottage by the forest.
They didn’t have much, but it was love that made their family strong. George was a boy with a good heart who faithfully helped his mother in the bakery.
The little boy was very clever and his tasty bakery products filled the bellies of the whole village, although no one appreciated his skill yet. Children around the village teased him that only girls baked cakes. So one day, George decided to change that. As George walked towards the bakery, he met children on the way who laughed at him and started chasing him around the village.
The curly-haired boy was quicker, hid from them, and when he was safe, he went into the bakery, wiped his tears, and set about baking gingerbread for the carnival. If he can’t have a real friend, he’ll make one out of a piece of gingerbread, he told himself. He was kneading the dough when a stray tear fell. The little boy didn’t notice, finished the gingerbread, closed the stove and waited for it to finish baking. George, meanwhile, was looking out at the birds playing in the sky. “Don’t worry, son, one day your good heart will find true friends and understanding, just like these birds in the sky,” his mother told him. George hugged her warmly, believing she was right. When the gingerbread had been finished, George shaped a small gingerbread out of a piece. The boy took the other gingerbread to the party, but he kept one gingerbread and went home. And there the gingerbread man spoke to him, “Your tear will charm the whole village, and love and understanding will fill their hearts again,” he said to George.
The little boy didn’t believe it, and he and his mother later went to the carnival celebration, where everyone began to greet them warmly and thank them for the gingerbread they had brought. From that day on, George not only made friends, but thanks to the gingerbread, the hearts of the villagers opened up again and let love in – thanks to George, who broke them out of their old curse.
