Market Morning

My name is Ben. It is early in the morning. Today there are tables all down our street, and people sell food and old things. Dad and I are going to buy food.

Mum gives Dad some money and a list. "Fish, coffee and chicken," she says. "Only fish, coffee and chicken. Nothing else."

"Of course," says Dad.

The street is full of people. A man calls, "Good fish! Come and buy!" Dad walks past the fish. He has seen something on the next table.

It is an old radio. "It does not work," says the man at the table. "That is why the price is so low. Five."

Dad holds the radio like a baby. "It does not work?" he says. "That is no problem. I can do it!"

He gives the man five.

We walk past the coffee. On another table there is an old TV. There is a hole in the front of it.

"It does not work," says the woman at the table. "Ten."

"That is no problem," says Dad. "I can do it!"

He gives her ten. I carry the TV. It is very big.

We walk past the chicken. At the end of the street there is an old table. It has three legs.

"It is a good table," says the man. "It only needs a leg. Seven."

I know that table. I do not say anything.

"I can do it!" says Dad.

Now we have a radio, a TV and a table with three legs. We have no fish. We have no coffee. We have no chicken. We have no money.

At home, Mum looks at the radio. She looks at the TV. She looks at the table for a long time.

"Where is the fish?" she asks.

"Look!" says Dad. "A radio, a TV and a good table. They all need a little work, but I can do it! And they were not much. Five, ten and seven."

"Five, ten and seven?" says Mum. "Last week I sold all three to those people. For two."