The Stolen Smell

This ends up kind of bitter and awful. I'm not sure why they decided to write the ending this way.

Good book with a interesting moral. Ages 5-8 will probably be able to understand the books moral.

This is a wonderful, clever story - teaches compassion and displays wit in a cross-cultural setting. My children and I love this book!

Very good book! My family really enjoyed reading it more than once!!

A greedy and miserly baker insists that his neighbor, who can barely afford to buy stale bread but savors the wonderful aromas from the bakery, pay for the "stolen" smells. Although the neighbor is baffled and the townspeople are amused by this demand, the baker takes the matter to court. A clever judge applies the baker's logic to resolving the case and rewards the baker with the sounds of the neighbor's coins clinking together. The Stolen Smell does a nice job in adapting an old folktale to a new setting, and in doing so serves as a useful source for teaching a quick lesson in economics that sometimes production can yield an external benefit for which consumers do not need to pay.

This short but satisfying tale does reward the reader with a clever pay-off. Wonderfully retold by Americas finest story tellers, the story of the stingy baker and his friendly neighbour is timeless and funny.