The Grumpy Troll and the Warm Bread
Under an old stone bridge lived a troll named Grumbold, and Grumbold was the grumpiest troll in all the land.
Whenever anyone tried to cross his bridge, he would rumble up from the shadows and roar, “GO AWAY! This is MY bridge!” And everyone would run.
So Grumbold was left all alone, day after day, in the cold and the damp under his bridge — which, if you think about it, is a very lonely way to live.
One frosty evening, a little baker’s girl named Elsie came skipping toward the bridge, carrying a basket of fresh bread. It smelled of warm butter and honey.
“GO AWAY!” roared Grumbold, rising up. “This is MY bridge!”
But Elsie didn’t run. She just looked at the troll — at his cold hands and his lonely eyes — and she felt a little sorry for him.
“You look chilly,” she said. “And hungry. Would you like some warm bread?”
Grumbold blinked. No one had ever offered him anything before. Slowly, he reached out and took a slice. It was soft and warm and wonderful.
Something strange happened inside his grumpy chest. It felt… warm. Not from the bread, but from the kindness.
“Th-thank you,” he rumbled, and for the first time in a hundred years, Grumbold smiled.
After that, Grumbold wasn’t grumpy anymore. He let everyone cross his bridge — and every evening, Elsie brought him warm bread, and they watched the sunset together.
And the troll who once had no one at all had found, at last, a friend.
The end. 🌉
Talk about it together
- Why do you think the troll was so grumpy?
- How did a simple slice of bread change everything?
- How could you be kind to someone who seems grouchy?