Why a Turkey Princess Is Inviting You Under a Table

(Slightly edited on July 3, 2026)

There is a famous and beloved rabbi known as Rebbe Nachman who lived in the late 1700's. A whole movement of Judaism has been structured around his teachings, many of which came in the form of stories.

One of these stories is called The Turkey Prince. You can find the story at the link, of course, but I'll put my own telling of it here:

There was once a prince who suddenly, out of the blue, declared that he was a turkey. He took off all his clothes, went under the table and began to peck at the crumbs. No one could understand why or convince him he was actually a prince and ask him to come out from under the table.