Once upon a time, there was a small town known far and wide for its delectable bagels – Bageltown. In this quaint place, bagels were not just a food, but a way of life. The townsfolk of Bageltown took great pride in their bagels, which were known to be the tastiest and most exquisite in all the lands.

At the heart of Bageltown's bagel business was a grand establishment known as "The Bagel Connoisseur's Emporium," run by a sharp and shrewd merchant. This merchant had a peculiar way of doing business. He had convinced the town's elders that only he should sell bagels in Bageltown, and all bagels must pass through his Emporium for a 'quality check'. For this service, he took a hefty cut of 30% from every bagel sold.

Now, the Bagel Connoisseur was not just any merchant. His eyes could spot a sesame seed out of place from a mile away, and his nose could sniff out the faintest hint of an unapproved ingredient. Bagels that didn't meet his exacting standards were banished from Bageltown. And oh, the standards were many and ever-changing, often based on the Connoisseur’s whims.

But the winds of change began to blow in Bageltown. The townsfolk started to murmur.

"Why can't we have bagels from outside Bageltown?", they asked. 

"What if we want a different kind of bagel, one that the Connoisseur doesn't approve of?"

Hearing this, the ruler of the land, President Goodbread, made a proclamation:

"The people of Bageltown should be free to choose their bagels. The Connoisseur can no longer force his checks on every bagel."

The Bagel Connoisseur, upon hearing this, furrowed his brow in frustration but then smirked slyly.

"Fine," 

he said,

"let the people bring in whatever bagels they wish. But for every foreign bagel sold in Bageltown, I shall take a 27% tribute for maintaining the order and safety of our bagel market."

The townsfolk were in uproar.

"This is absurd!" 

they cried.

"First, he monopolizes our bagels, and now he taxes them even when he has no hand in their making!"

The Connoisseur's rule was bizarre. If a baker in Bageltown wished to sell a bagel with a new twist — say, a sprinkle of magical fairy dust or a dash of unicorn horn powder — they had to tread carefully. For the Connoisseur might declare these ingredients 'unapproved,' forcing the townsfolk to travel to distant lands to savor such exotic bagels.

Under the Connoisseur's watchful eye, Bageltown became a place where freedom of choice in bagelry was but a dream. The streets, once filled with the delightful aromas of diverse and innovative bagels, now bore the scent of conformity.

"Is this truly for the safety and quality of our beloved bagels?" 

pondered an old wise baker.

"Or is it merely a ploy to fill the coffers of the Connoisseur, under the guise of protection and order?"

As we leave Bageltown, with its streets lined with identical bagel shops and its air heavy with the scent of the same old bagels, one can't help but wonder: Does this remind you of anything else, perhaps something outside of Bageltown and in our world?

On a side note, I had some great apple pie yesterday!

You know, maybe in our world it's not about bagels but appliances to bake apple pies and other delicious pies?

Or maybe it's not at all about pies...

Who knows... ;)

PS: Story will be published on EscapeBigTech in one week; from now on all articles will be published on Yakihonne & Nostr before the main website #decentralization