This can be read simply as a clever tale with remarkable pictures, or it can be seen as a cautionary story about greed. The king loves to eat, and his chefs see to it that he gets the best of everything. He gets so hugely fat that he finally becomes very cross and ill and sends all the chefs away. Then there is no one to fix his breakfast. The stable boy finds him sitting sadly under a tree and shares his brown bread and honey. This simple diet finally turns him into a svelte, trim, active king again ,and he and the stable boy cook their own meals. The illustrations are very special - simple but full of life and colour.