Good evening, children. It's Granny Madduff, ready with a story.

So make yourselves comfy, and I'll begin.

Once upon a time, there lived a poor peasant.

He had no land, but he did have a small cottage and a daughter. The girl was

very clever. She was called Claire. One day his daughter had an idea. We should ask the

king for a bit of cleared land father, she said, so we might make a

little farm and take our crops to market. I doubt the king would grant such a wish daughter,

but we can try. When the king heard of their plight, he granted them a small piece of land.

It was big enough for them to make a nice little farm.

So they dug up the ground in preparation for sewing.

A bit of corn, a bit of grain, a bit of fudge.

But midway through digging the field, they struck something.

They pulled it out and found it was a mortar.

But not just any mortar.

It was made of solid gold.

We should bring it straight to the king, said Claire's father.

He's been so kind and so generous with us.

We should give him the mortar in return for the gift of our land.

How silly you are, father, Claire said.

If we were to take the mortar to the king without having the pestle to bring with it,

we shall have to find the pestle and it could be anywhere in this field or not.

It is better we do not say anything.

...