The Costly Vegetables

One day, when Rohit went to play in the garden near his house, he noticed a boy about his age spreading a mat on the ground near the main gate, arranging vegetables on it, and proceeding to sell them.

- Asha Sharma

He noticed this happening over the next few days and thought, “Could this boy be a thief or a pickpocket? Maybe his vegetable shop is a pretense, and he is actually scouting the area for houses to steal from!”

Rohit shared his suspicions with his father.

“I think he might be an enterprising kid, helping his family by selling vegetables from their field or garden,” his father said. “I'll come with you tomorrow and clear your confusion.”

The next evening, Rohit and his father went to the boy’s vegetable shop, and Rohit could see what his father meant. The boy smiled at them earnestly, and welcomed them to select vegetables. That day, there were cluster beans, brinjals, spinach, carrots and potatoes laid out on the mat. The vegetables looked vibrant and fresh to Rohit, very different from the ones he had seen in the supermarket. While Rohit’s father selected vegetables, the boy was politely calling passersby to his shop.

“You know what, I am going to buy all your vegetables today,” Rohit’s father told the boy, whose face lit up with happiness. But Rohit was not pleased.

“Why did you buy all his vegetables, Dad?” Rohit asked angrily as they walked home. “They were more costly than the supermarket ones that Mom gets. This boy has tricked us!”

His father smiled and explained, “Rohit, I took a good look at the boy’s vegetables. They were fresh, firm and really vibrant. He must have got them from a farm that uses good practices, like organic manure. These vegetables are slightly more expensive than the ones in the supermarket, but worth it for their nutritional value!”