Honesty Box Coins

At the end of the farm driveway stood a little wooden stall. On it were eggs, lemons and jars of honey. Next to them sat a small blue box with a slot in the lid.

"That's the honesty box," Suzy explained to Little Thunder. "People take what they need and pop their money inside. Nobody watches. We just trust them."

Little Thunder thought that was lovely.

On Saturday afternoon, the farmer handed Spike the key. "Can you three count the takings?"

Spike tipped the box out onto the table. Clink, clink, clink! Coins rolled everywhere.

"Let's sort them first," said Suzy. They made little piles: gold two-dollar coins, gold one-dollar coins, and silver fifty, twenty, ten and five cent coins.

Little Thunder picked up a big silver coin with lots of sides. "This one's fifty cents!"

Spike counted the dollars. Suzy added the cents. Little Thunder wrote each number carefully on a chalkboard.

"Twelve dollars and forty cents," Suzy announced.

The farmer checked the list. Four egg cartons, two jars of honey, a bag of lemons. "That's exactly right," she said. "Everyone paid."

Little Thunder smiled so wide his ear tag wiggled. Honest neighbours, and honest counting. A very good day.