Around the Bend: Beans

"We could sell them, too. At the gate."

"Who'd want a bean that big?"

"Lots of people."

Dad went into the shop. I followed him, dragging my feet.

A small but very friendly-looking Chinaman came to the counter. He beamed at us as if we were his dearest and closest friends come to pay him a visit.

"I know you," he said. "You are man who needs job. What I can do for you?"

"Tell us about those Magnabeans," said Dad. "You've got a sign, on the window."

"Ah, yes," said the man, going to the window and taking the sheet of paper down. "You want to buy. I have one bag left. Only one bag. You buy a good bag of bean if you want?"

"Could I have a look at them first?"

"You look all you want," said the little man. He lifted a box from under the counter and opened it. Inside was a cloth bag with a string tie. He undid it and tipped some beans out on the counter. They were hard to see in the dim light of the shop.

"They're very small," said Dad. "I expected them to be much bigger than that."

"These will grow big!" said the man. "Very big! They have been dried. When they dried, to get bean over from China, they shrink. Very small now, but when you plant, very big!"

He spread his arms out to show us how big.

"How much?" asked Dad.

"One hundred fifty dollar!" said the man.

"A hundred and fifty dollars!" gasped Dad.

"That what I say. They very amazing beans. They worth much more, but to you I sell for hundred and fifty."

"But they're only beans!"

"I sorry," said the man, gathering the beans and dropping them back into the bag, "That is best price I have. They not ordinary beans. They worth much more than ordinary beans."