The Secret Ingredient English in English | Fairy Tales in English | Stories for Teenagers | The Girl Who Trod On Th Loaf | The Girl Who Stepped on Bread
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00:00The Secret Ingredient
00:08Once upon a time, there was a small village nestled in the...
00:12Hey, I'm...
00:14I mean, look at all the villagers!
00:16Hard-working, happy, and...
00:18Hold on! I said...
00:20And the view! The hills, the meadows, it's...
00:24Hey! This is my story! Spotlight's on me!
00:30All right.
00:32Now, in this village lived Megan, a teen with mega-problems.
00:37They're called dreams.
00:39You see, Megan and her mother, Clara, lived a humble life.
00:44But Megan hated it.
00:46Oh, to be rich, beautiful gowns, dancing at parties,
00:51and eating Turkish delight every...
00:55I made you breakfast.
00:58Mom, I want something exquisite!
01:01Why didn't you get me anything from the market?
01:04I was out in the fields.
01:06And by the time I reached the market,
01:08the produce from the town stall was over.
01:12The town, which was a little away,
01:15sold exotic fruits, sweets, and clothes.
01:18Twice a week, they'd come down to the village and sell their produce.
01:22Well, why didn't you go sooner?
01:25Megan, field work is hard.
01:28Maybe if you helped me in the field or gone to the market yourself...
01:32Me? In the fields and market?
01:35Megan refused to work or help her mom.
01:38She would simply sit and grumble about her life.
01:41You know, one day, you'll see that a humble life is quite nice.
01:46Now, Megan's mother had a friend who stayed in the town.
01:50She was a rich lady who often asked Clara to visit her.
01:54So, one day, being unable to bear Megan's incessant grumbling,
01:59she decided to send her to her friend's place.
02:06I'm so excited!
02:08Don't get too caught up in the city's richness, okay?
02:12Megan traveled to the town,
02:14and after a while, came upon the lady's home.
02:18Oh, my goodness!
02:21The lady of the mansion welcomed Megan warmly.
02:24Her name was Darla.
02:26Megan thoroughly enjoyed the rich lifestyle.
02:29She'd wake up to scrumptious breakfasts, sometimes in bed.
02:34She'd go for carriage rides out in the meadows
02:37and have picnics near the streams with Darla.
02:41And in the evenings, she danced under the stars
02:44And in the evenings, she danced under the stars
02:47that mirrored the jewels on her dress.
02:50Having fun, Megan?
02:52So much!
02:54Compared to this, my life is so boring.
02:58Mom should stay here, too.
03:00Well, your mother's preferred the humble life.
03:02I admire her for that.
03:04Admire her?
03:06For working in the field?
03:08Megan, there's dignity in every kind of work,
03:11as long as it's honest and filled with love.
03:18A week went by, and Megan had to return home.
03:21She was annoyed at saying goodbye.
03:24When she returned,
03:26she saw the villagers in their plain clothes and humble homes,
03:31amongst which was her mother.
03:36I can't do this. I need to go back.
03:42In disgust, she returned to the town.
03:48Megan, did something happen?
03:51No, no, nothing's wrong.
03:54Uh, well, Mom's supposed to go out for some work for some days,
04:00and I, uh, I mean she was hoping you'd let me stay a little longer.
04:07Oh, of course, Megan.
04:09Megan had lied to Darla,
04:11and she wrote her mother a letter stating that Darla insisted she stay longer.
04:16Oh, dear. Well, I suppose a few more days is all right.
04:21And so, guarded by her lies, Megan stayed in Darla's home.
04:26But the days went by, and Darla received a letter from Clara,
04:30asking about her daughter.
04:32Megan, your mother seems to have returned from her work.
04:35She's asking about you.
04:37And so, to Megan's annoyance, she had to return.
04:41Darla had given her something tasty to share with Clara.
04:46Hmm, bread.
04:49However, the carriage had to stop halfway, due to a mucky path.
04:57What a terrible day. I don't want to ruin my new shoes.
05:03Hmm, oh, the bread.
05:06Megan decided to cover her shoes with the bread.
05:09It's just bread.
05:11No sooner, she had taken two steps,
05:15than she slipped right through the mucky ground.
05:22Wha, where am I? Ew!
05:25She had fallen deep underground, into the Marsh Queen's territory.
05:31Who is this?
05:33Megan looked with shock at the huge goblin standing above her.
05:37It was the Marsh Queen, Slapessa.
05:40I, I, um, ma, ma, Megan.
05:46That's a unique name for a muck goblin.
05:50I'm a human.
05:52Just then, another goblin came scurrying to Slapessa,
05:56carrying Megan's basket.
05:58Oh, the special roseberry crumble bread, with the rose petals too.
06:05Hmm, hmm, but I still smell more.
06:12That's because they're on my feet.
06:14Why are they on your feet?
06:17I needed to protect my pretty shoes from the mucky path.
06:20Slapessa was shocked.
06:22She loved that particular bread,
06:24and asked her goblins to buy it for her every day.
06:27You call yourself human, but you're an evil creature.
06:32Just for stepping on bread?
06:35You're stepping on a million people's hard work.
06:38Farmers, bakers, shopkeepers.
06:41That's got nothing to do with me.
06:44Well, I wanted that bread today, but it was over.
06:48And seeing you mistreat the bread that I so badly craved for,
06:52you're gonna have a lot to do with me.
06:55And so, to Megan's horror, Slapessa kept her as a baker.
07:00But the problem was, Megan couldn't bake.
07:08Hmm, no.
07:10Megan tried again.
07:12Ew.
07:14And again.
07:16Wow.
07:18But she couldn't get it right.
07:22Hmm?
07:24Hmm?
07:28Ugh, this is pointless.
07:31My hands are calloused, my clothes are mucky,
07:34and my hair has mice in it.
07:40It's a wonder how just bread is so difficult to make.
07:46Slapessa decided that Megan needed to understand
07:49the entire process of making bread.
07:53Don't you know how to sow?
07:57I've never worked in a field before.
07:59Bah, you don't need to work in a field to know how to plant a tiny seed.
08:08She's harsh to everyone.
08:10Let me help you.
08:12Oh, uh, thank you.
08:22Wow, feels good to be rewarded for your hard work.
08:26Huh?
08:27Megan had never felt so elated before.
08:30She'd spent weeks working in the hot sun,
08:33and had even made a few kind friends.
08:36She was then placed in the mill.
08:38There, too, she got into trouble.
08:40The mill owner, however, was a kind person.
08:46Good job, everyone.
08:48I brought you all soup.
08:51The last owner would make us work till midnight.
08:54That's because he never respected us for our work.
08:57Some rich people are crude and arrogant.
09:00But isn't she rich, too?
09:02Exactly what I said, some.
09:05There are those who respect and care for others.
09:08Our lives aren't something to be ashamed of.
09:11There's dignity in honest work.
09:13I used to look down on everyone, too.
09:16After that, she worked in a bakery.
09:19Here, she observed the bakers carefully.
09:22I don't get it.
09:24Why won't my breads taste the same?
09:27Do you like baking?
09:29What? No.
09:31Then it'll never taste good.
09:33You see, there's a secret ingredient.
09:36Baking needs love.
09:39Love?
09:40Some people like sweet bread.
09:42Some like hard crusted bread.
09:44While others like it fluffy.
09:46Depending on that, I choose my ingredients carefully.
09:49And then I knead the dough and sprinkle some love into it.
09:53I thank all of the people who've worked hard for this bread
09:56and of those who will eat it.
10:03She worked a few more days in the bakery
10:06until Slapessa brought her back to the land of muck.
10:10Megan went into the kitchen
10:12and looked at the ingredients in front of her.
10:15Hmm, I'll use this.
10:17Her mind drifted to the kind field hands,
10:20the generous mill owner and workers, too,
10:23and the patient baker.
10:25As she kneaded, she thought about Darla
10:28who had welcomed her into her home,
10:31and then her own mother, selfless and kind.
10:35Oh, oh my goodness!
10:38My queen, I've baked the bread.
10:42Really?
10:43Is this going to break my teeth?
10:46Slapessa examined the bread.
10:48It smelled glorious and looked quite edible.
10:51She took a chunk and ate it.
10:53Ooh, it's delicious!
10:57But it's...
11:00It's delicious!
11:02But it's...
11:09I realized when I used to bake earlier,
11:12I'd do it with anger and hatred.
11:15And this time?
11:17This time, I baked it with love.
11:20Hmm, you put in so much effort just for this bread?
11:26It's not just bread.
11:28It's a bundle of love and effort from people that,
11:32I've learned, must be respected.
11:35Good girl.
11:36Well, since you've learned to be good and respectful,
11:40I shall reward you.
11:48She walked back home,
11:50attracting stares at her mucky dress.
11:53But Megan didn't care.
11:56Mother!
11:57Mother, I...
11:59Huh?
12:00Megan?
12:02Megan!
12:04Clara hugged her daughter tight.
12:06Darla was there, too.
12:08Oh, my sweet daughter!
12:10Where were you?
12:12We've been so worried!
12:14Megan told them the whole tale of how Slapessa had taken her in
12:19because she stepped on the bread.
12:21Darla, I'm so sorry for treating the bread that way.
12:24And Mom, I'm...
12:26I'm sorry for everything.
12:29I promise from now on, I'll change for the better.
12:33Megan helped her mother in the fields and everywhere else.
12:37She was kind and compassionate to everyone,
12:40filling her mother's heart with pride.
12:45Never in my life have I known a nicer person.
12:48I have the Muck Queen to thank for that.
12:51Megan had understood that a humble life wasn't something to snub.
12:55It was filled with something gold and shimmer couldn't buy.
12:59She was no longer discontent,
13:02but felt happy and satisfied
13:04because she'd found the secret ingredient to a happy life,
13:08love.