The cold-hearted farmer
Status: 17.10.24
In the 16th century, there lived a baker in Dortmund who was rich and unscrupulous. He hoarded the grain used to bake bread in his cellar and speculated on selling it on for more money. He had no heart for the poor. He even let his sister starve.
Shortly afterwards, unrest broke out in the city. The people were suffering from hunger and as those who still lived in abundance did not help, their houses were stormed and looted.
The baker grabbed his sack with a few loaves of bread and a large jug of water to lock himself in the cellar and sit out the unrest. His riches were also stored down there. After a few hours in the cellar, the baker got hungry and reached into his bag of bread. When he pulled it out, he realised that the bread had turned to stone and bloody drops were oozing from the cracks.
Horrified, he pulled one loaf after another out of the bag, but they had all turned to stone. At least he wanted something to drink to quell his hunger. But the water in the jug had turned to viscous blood. There was still unrest upstairs, so the farmer did not dare to leave his cellar.
When the door was forced open days later, the cold-hearted farmer was found lying in his cellar, starving to death. Next to him were the petrified loaves of bread and the jug full of blood.
