In need of a wheelbarrow and wanting to take advantage of any possible off season discounts I wandered on down to the hardware store where I like to do business. Those boys always have something left over from a season and sure enough I was in luck.
“Right here it is, Mike. You couldn’t ask for a better wheelbarrow than this. You have your pneumatic tire with a geese fitting, solid wood handles, a tub that’ll last you a life time. Why, in your case, you might be able to pass this beauty down to your grandkids.”
“Uh huh.”
“We’ve known each other a long time so I’ll cut the price you see there right in half.”
“In half.”
“That’s right. You’ll never get a better price anywhere and that’s the truth.”
“Well, seems like a lot to pay for the privilege of working.”
“Huh? Well, you don’t see my point. This little hummer makes the work go much faster. Why, before you know it, you’ll be back on the porch sippin iced tea and watchin the grass grow, come summer of course.”
“I’m thinking you’re missing my point. See, if I didn’t have this wheelbarrow at the house I’d not be bothered when my wife asked if I was going to move a pile of dirt off somewhere. ‘Could,’ I’d say, ‘but one shovel at a time is going to take a bit and its hot out here’. And, when I had to unload the manure from the back of the truck come spring garden planting time I wouldn’t hardly be able to do it one shovel at a time. I’d have to have those old boys from the farm come round and spread it for me.’ So you see you aren’t hardly doing me a favor selling me this thing, you’re just making more work for me. My wife finds I have one there’ll be no end to the work she’ll get me to do. So see it’s actually me doing you a favor by taking this off your hands.”
“Ten dollars off then and that’s as low as I can go and there’s nothing further from the truth than that.”
“Well, there’s a couple politicians might be out there, but still…. You know, five dollars more and I’d have enough to buy some tea bags to make my iced tea with, come summer of course.”
“Okay already. I’ll have to close the doors for the day now. I think I made three dollars on this sale so might as well call it quits.”
“Good. Say, long as you’re closing up how about you throw this in the back of your truck and drop it off on your way home? I’ve got to save myself in order to use it, come summer of course.”
