The Extra Loaf
Written by Studio AM.
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Teodor has run the bakery on Sedge Street for nineteen years. He counts his flour, his salt, and his orders. Then he bakes one loaf more than he needs. He does this because of a winter long ago, when a woman knocked after closing time. She had no money, and he had nothing left to sell. He remembers her face better than he remembers that whole year.
So now the extra loaf sits on the top shelf, wrapped in brown paper. Most days nobody comes for it, and Teodor gives it to the birds in the square. His nephew calls this waste. Teodor says it is not waste; it is a promise. Keeping a loaf ready matters more to him than selling it.
Once or twice a month, someone does come. A student. A man leaving a night shift. A mother with a stroller and no coins. Teodor never asks questions. He takes the loaf down, hands it over, and turns back to his oven while they are still saying thank you.
That way, he says, nobody has to look grateful. They can just eat.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
Which sentence best states the main idea?
The answer is B: Teodor keeps a spare loaf so he can help someone in need.
He remembers being unable to help a woman. Keeping a spare loaf means he will have something to give next time.
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Question 2 of 4
How long has Teodor run the bakery on Sedge Street?
The answer is C: Nineteen years.
The first sentence says nineteen years.
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Question 3 of 4
What does the spare loaf suggest about Teodor's priorities?
The answer is A: Being ready to help matters even when the loaf goes unsold.
Most days no one needs the loaf, but Teodor keeps baking it. His promise matters more to him than selling that one loaf.
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Question 4 of 4
What does 'grateful' mean in this passage?
The answer is D: feeling thankful for someone's help
'Grateful' means thankful. The people say thank you, but Teodor does not want them to feel they must show their gratitude.
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