Once upon a time, there lived an old baker named Barkis, who hardly had any customers visiting his bakery. So, he gradually began losing hope of selling the bread loaves he used to bake every day to sell.
One winter morning, a stranger walked into his bakery and said, “Barkis, I am new to this village and I have no family too, but I still want you to bake me a dozen loaves of bread every morning and I shall buy them from you.”
Happy with a sudden turn in his fate, Barkis baked a dozen loaves of bread and completed his work by daybreak.
True to his words, the stranger visited the bakery in the morning and asked Barkis for his ware.
Barkis eagerly picked up the wicker basket he had packed for the stranger and handed it over to him.
The stranger quietly took the basket and opened each of the brown paper packet to check the bread loaf. After having checked all the loaves he produced one to Barkis and said,” Barkis, this loaf of bread is partly burnt, can you replace it with a fresh loaf along with the dozen loaves you will deliver to me for tomorrow?”
Quite amazed at how he could overlook the burnt loaf, Barkis quietly took the loaf of bread from the stranger and agreed to replace it with a fresh loaf the following day.
The following day too, the stranger pointed out to a partly burnt loaf of bread and requested Barkis to replace it with the fresh loaf the following morning and this continued till such time that it became habitual for Barkis to bake thirteen loaves of bread instead of twelve for the stranger.
One day, the stranger visited Barkis’ bakery with his friend who requested Barkis too, to bake a dozen loaves of bread each day.
Habitually, Barkis baked thirteen loaves of bread each for the stranger and his friend and packed their wares in two separate wicker baskets.
Next morning the stranger and his friend visited Barkis’ bakery to collect their loaves of bread and the stranger’s friend was the first to open the basket to check the loaves. After having seen them, he returned one loaf to Barkis and said, “Friend, I had ordered for twelve loaves but you have given me thirteen.”
Barkis smiled and replied “So, after all, no more burnt loaf of bread.”
So friends, to be habitually proactive is what Baker’s dozen means, to avoid any eventualities.
(Foot Note: Especially quality compliance.)
One winter morning, a stranger walked into his bakery and said, “Barkis, I am new to this village and I have no family too, but I still want you to bake me a dozen loaves of bread every morning and I shall buy them from you.”
Happy with a sudden turn in his fate, Barkis baked a dozen loaves of bread and completed his work by daybreak.
True to his words, the stranger visited the bakery in the morning and asked Barkis for his ware.
Barkis eagerly picked up the wicker basket he had packed for the stranger and handed it over to him.
The stranger quietly took the basket and opened each of the brown paper packet to check the bread loaf. After having checked all the loaves he produced one to Barkis and said,” Barkis, this loaf of bread is partly burnt, can you replace it with a fresh loaf along with the dozen loaves you will deliver to me for tomorrow?”
Quite amazed at how he could overlook the burnt loaf, Barkis quietly took the loaf of bread from the stranger and agreed to replace it with a fresh loaf the following day.
The following day too, the stranger pointed out to a partly burnt loaf of bread and requested Barkis to replace it with the fresh loaf the following morning and this continued till such time that it became habitual for Barkis to bake thirteen loaves of bread instead of twelve for the stranger.
One day, the stranger visited Barkis’ bakery with his friend who requested Barkis too, to bake a dozen loaves of bread each day.
Habitually, Barkis baked thirteen loaves of bread each for the stranger and his friend and packed their wares in two separate wicker baskets.
Next morning the stranger and his friend visited Barkis’ bakery to collect their loaves of bread and the stranger’s friend was the first to open the basket to check the loaves. After having seen them, he returned one loaf to Barkis and said, “Friend, I had ordered for twelve loaves but you have given me thirteen.”
Barkis smiled and replied “So, after all, no more burnt loaf of bread.”
So friends, to be habitually proactive is what Baker’s dozen means, to avoid any eventualities.
(Foot Note: Especially quality compliance.)
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