· A short-story prologue to The Witch of Buchenwald · 

The Gingerbread Cookie

A childhood story where innocence hides a shadow


The Gingerbread Cookie begins with an eight-year-old girl, a kind old woman and a caged canary in a quiet Dresden street. What follows is an unsettling story about innocence, cruelty and the moment when an apparently harmless child discovers the pleasure of causing pain.


Dark, atmospheric and deeply disturbing, it is a tale about the evil that grows unnoticed, the truths people choose not to see and the innocent face a monster may wear long before the world learns its name.ts name.

 · A NOVEL INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS  · 

Walking Upright

Walking Upright  is the first book in the trilogy that bears its name. It tells the story of Gichin Funakoshi, the master who brought Tōde from Okinawa to Japan and helped transform it into Karate-Dō.


Through his life, the book opens the path for the rest of the trilogy, exploring the spirit of Budō: discipline, humility, respect, and character.


For Gichin Funakoshi, Karate was not merely a technique, but a way of walking upright through life.

Walking Upright

Discover Walking Upright in your language. Select one of the available editions and begin reading the opening chapters of this historical novel, inspired by the life of Gichin Funakoshi, directly on the website. You can also download a free PDF sample and continue reading whenever you like. Choose your language, discover the story, and begin the journey.

The Gingerbread Cookie

The Gingerbread Cookie was originally written in both English and Spanish. It has since been translated into several other languages with the support of Amazon’s AI-assisted translation tools.


The story is available exclusively as an eBook on Amazon Kindle. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it at no additional cost.

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Step into the streets of pre-war Dresden, where a young girl, a lonely old woman and a gingerbread cookie become part of an encounter neither of them will ever forget.


This short historical tale blends tenderness, mystery and quiet unease as the child enters the woman’s home and discovers that even the smallest act of kindness can leave an enduring mark.


Read the story directly on the website or discover it on Amazon Kindle. Kindle Unlimited members can read it at no additional cost.

THE GINGERBREAD COOKIE

short fiction

english

A SHORT STORY INSPIRED BY REAL EVENTS · PUBLISHED

The Gingerbread Cookie

Historical Fiction · A Tale of Innocence, Kindness and Memoryer

A short story inspired by the life of a real child, in which an ordinary errand through pre-war Dresden leads to an unexpected encounter. When a young girl visits a lonely old woman, a canary, a small parcel and a gingerbread cookie become part of a memory that will endure long after the world around them has vanished. A tale of innocence, quiet kindness and the fragile traces people leave behind.



The Gingerbread Cookie — A Short Story.

YEAR

2026


PAGES

+40


FORMATS

1


LANGUAGES

6


  AVAILABLE IN

Milton Chanes — Author’s Blog

Discover the story of Gigō Funakoshi, son of Gichin Funakoshi, and how he turned karate into a path

The Story of Gigō Funakoshi: Karate as Reconstruction

By Milton Chanes • August 2, 2026
The story of Gigō Funakoshi is not merely the story of a karateka. It is the story of a sick child who found in karate a way to rebuild his body, challenge his fate, and leave a decisive mark on the evolution of Karate-dō.
Gigō Funakoshi: el karate como reconstrucción personal

La historia de Gigō Funakoshi: el karate como reconstrucción

By Milton Chanes • August 2, 2026
Descubre la historia de Gigō Funakoshi, hijo de Gichin Funakoshi, y cómo convirtió el karate en un camino de reconstrucción y transformación personal.

Die Genealogie von Gichin Funakoshi

By Milton Chanes • July 22, 2026
Genealogy of the Funakoshi Family

The Genealogy of Gichin Funakoshi

By Milton Chanes • July 22, 2026
Genealogy of the Funakoshi Family