Alfred the Great, king of England from 871-899, was out fighting with his men. At one point they were in hiding and concealed their identity so they could fit in with the local people. While staying with one peasasnt, he was asked to watch some cakes of bread as they baked near a fire. Distracted by his thoughts about the war, he forgot about the cakes and let them burn. This attracted rebuke from the homemaker, who was completely unaware of his true identity as the king. Alfred of course could have responded with great indignation, but chose to hold his tongue. This is a great lesson in humility and patience.