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"Money doesn't grow on trees." Well, that's how the saying goes anyway.

One day after having just been read the story of Jack and the Bean Stalk for about the millionth time, my six year old son decided that if Jack could grow a bean stalk out of magic beans then he could grow a magical vegetable also.

The very next day he goes and asks his father if he can help with planting some vegetables. They planted a whole row of potatoes that day.

Later that night under the guise of checking up on the potatoes he went out with his flashlight to inspect each one. He had a quirky grin that meant mischief and he jingled as he went out the kitchen door.

Peeking out of the kitchen window my husband and I saw our son placing a coin in each spot where they had put a potato earlier. He had emptied his piggy bank.
He only had pennies in it so we decided to let things be and see what came of it.

Every morning as soon as breakfast was done he ran out to the garden to tend to his row of potatoes and every evening he inspected them by flashlight. Never had any garden any more loving care than that single row of potatoes that summer.

Well time went by and as all plants will these potatoes were ready for harvesting.
Our son went out with his small spade and began to unearth his bounty.
Upon finding his first coin he held it up and shouted, "Hooray, I did it! It worked!".

When we asked him what he had done he explained, "I knew that if I paid the potato plants that they would give me lot's and lot's of french-fries...I didn't want just any old potato. I wanted french fried potatoes and I know that you have to buy them. They don't grow on tree's, don't you know?"

Later that evening as I was cutting the potatoes to make french fries I found a penny grown inside of a potato.
Here was his magical vegetable after all.

Learn more about this author, Valerie Creek.
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