The Story of the Harvest Loaf.
Once there was a fair and beautiful land. The people were happy and busy and their faces shone as they worked and the whole land glowed with a bright light. But a time came when darkness fell upon the land, for through its valleys writhed a mighty dragon, foaming and lashing its tail. It was not long before he laid everything to waste and disappeared to his cave, leaving the country barren and frozen hard with ice. All the people were frozen too. Now the Archangel Michael looked down from the heavens to this sad and frozen land, and his heart was full of compassion for its people. He stretched forth his right hand, plucked a handful of stars from the heavens and flung them down to the earth. With his left hand he gathered sungold from the sky and sent that, too, on a journey to the earth. When the stars reached the earth they became lumps of iron, and entered deep into the earth. When the sungold reached the earth the ice was melted and men once more felt the blood warming their limbs. Then the people began to work. The farmers ploughed the lands and sowed seeds. The iron in the earth gave strength to the crop as it grew, and soon the grain was ripening on tall, straight stems. When autumn came Archangel Michael spoke to the farmers. “Harvest the good grain, grind it into flour. Mix a dough and knead it well. Bake it in the oven. Place it in the middle of your table and share it with family and friends. For this will be the harvest loaf: each slice that is cut in friendship will warm your hearts and each slice that is eaten will give strength and power to overcome the dragon” This the farmers did, and when the Harvest Loaf was placed on the table, they sang this song:“Earth who gives to us this food
Sun and stars who made it good
Dearest Earth and Stars and Sun
We will remember what you have done”
(adapted from a Waldorf story - unknown author)
