01 The Coin That Wanted to Grow Alex, Buddy, and ten little coins
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The Coin That Wanted to Grow Alex, Buddy, and ten little coins
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02 Alex had a present: ten coins.
He lined them up on the windowsill.
Buddy put a ball beside them.
Now Alex had ten coins and one very determined invitation to go outside.
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Alex had a present: ten coins.
He lined them up on the windowsill.
Buddy put a ball beside them.
Now Alex had ten coins and one very determined invitation to go outside.
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03 A red dragon floated in the shop window.
Almost a real one. Except it was made of paper, with a string to hold on to.
The price tag said: TEN COINS.
Alex pressed a hand against his pocket.
“I could buy it right now!”
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A red dragon floated in the shop window.
Almost a real one. Except it was made of paper, with a string to hold on to.
The price tag said: TEN COINS.
Alex pressed a hand against his pocket.
“I could buy it right now!”
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04 “Would you like to keep some for later?” Grandma asked.
“Then I wouldn't have enough for the dragon,” said Alex.
At the bottom of the window, a little pinwheel spun.
The dragon hung still.
The pinwheel had already found some wind.
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“Would you like to keep some for later?” Grandma asked.
“Then I wouldn't have enough for the dragon,” said Alex.
At the bottom of the window, a little pinwheel spun.
The dragon hung still.
The pinwheel had already found some wind.
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05 Alex blew on the pinwheel.
Whirrr!
Buddy sneezed.
The pinwheel spun even faster.
Alex burst out laughing.
“Let's get this one. I think it runs on dog!”
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Alex blew on the pinwheel.
Whirrr!
Buddy sneezed.
The pinwheel spun even faster.
Alex burst out laughing.
“Let's get this one. I think it runs on dog!”
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06 The pinwheel cost two coins.
Two stayed with the shopkeeper.
Eight stayed with Alex.
And all the way home, Alex and Buddy had a little wind of their very own.
Sometimes coins can make today a good day.
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The pinwheel cost two coins.
Two stayed with the shopkeeper.
Eight stayed with Alex.
And all the way home, Alex and Buddy had a little wind of their very own.
Sometimes coins can make today a good day.
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07 At home, Alex tucked three coins into a blue pouch.
“For the big dragon. Someday.”
He drew a dragon on the tag and pulled the pouch shut.
Those coins were his savings: money he was keeping now to use later.
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At home, Alex tucked three coins into a blue pouch.
“For the big dragon. Someday.”
He drew a dragon on the tag and pulled the pouch shut.
Those coins were his savings: money he was keeping now to use later.
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08 Five coins lay on the table.
“Should I put these away too?”
“You could,” said Grandma. “Or we could find out about putting money into a business. That's called investing.”
Alex looked at the coins.
“What kind of business?”
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Five coins lay on the table.
“Should I put these away too?”
“You could,” said Grandma. “Or we could find out about putting money into a business. That's called investing.”
Alex looked at the coins.
“What kind of business?”
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09 Behind a green gate, their neighbors grew young plants to sell.
It smelled of soil and rain-soaked wood and spring.
“We need new trays and seeds,” the owner told them.
Buddy poked his nose into an empty flowerpot.
The flowerpot sneezed.
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Behind a green gate, their neighbors grew young plants to sell.
It smelled of soil and rain-soaked wood and spring.
“We need new trays and seeds,” the owner told them.
Buddy poked his nose into an empty flowerpot.
The flowerpot sneezed.
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10 Alex took out a coin.
“So I plant it?”
He reached for a little shovel.
Buddy wagged his tail.
Burying precious things in the dirt—now, that made sense.
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Alex took out a coin.
“So I plant it?”
He reached for a little shovel.
Buddy wagged his tail.
Burying precious things in the dirt—now, that made sense.
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11 “No,” said Grandma, smiling. “A coin won't grow in the ground.”
“People use the money to buy seeds, trays, and tools. Then they work hard to grow plants that other people will want to buy.”
“So it's the business that grows?”
“That's the idea.”
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“No,” said Grandma, smiling. “A coin won't grow in the ground.”
“People use the money to buy seeds, trays, and tools. Then they work hard to grow plants that other people will want to buy.”
“So it's the business that grows?”
“That's the idea.”
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12 The owner showed them around the plant nursery.
“You could buy a small share of our business. Then you'd be one of its owners.”
“Would that flower be mine?”
“A share of the whole business,” Grandma explained. “Not one particular flowerpot.”
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The owner showed them around the plant nursery.
“You could buy a small share of our business. Then you'd be one of its owners.”
“Would that flower be mine?”
“A share of the whole business,” Grandma explained. “Not one particular flowerpot.”
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13 “Would I get any money?” asked Alex.
“Maybe. First the business has to pay its bills. If there's money left after that, it's called profit. The owners may decide to share it.”
“Even if my share of the business is little?”
“Then your part of the profit would be little too.”
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“Would I get any money?” asked Alex.
“Maybe. First the business has to pay its bills. If there's money left after that, it's called profit. The owners may decide to share it.”
“Even if my share of the business is little?”
“Then your part of the profit would be little too.”
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14 “What if nobody buys the flowers?”
“The business could lose money. And you could lose some of the money you put in. Or all of it.”
Alex was quiet for a moment.
“Then I'm keeping the coins in my blue pouch out of this. I need those for the dragon.”
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“What if nobody buys the flowers?”
“The business could lose money. And you could lose some of the money you put in. Or all of it.”
Alex was quiet for a moment.
“Then I'm keeping the coins in my blue pouch out of this. I need those for the dragon.”
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15 With Grandma's help, Alex put three coins into the nursery business.
They wrote down his little share in a notebook.
Those three coins weren't in his pocket anymore. They had gone into the business.
Two coins lay on his palm.
And three were still tucked away in the blue pouch.
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With Grandma's help, Alex put three coins into the nursery business.
They wrote down his little share in a notebook.
Those three coins weren't in his pocket anymore. They had gone into the business.
Two coins lay on his palm.
And three were still tucked away in the blue pouch.
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16 Next door was a bicycle repair shop.
Ding! went a bell.
This place needed tools instead of seeds.
Alex and Grandma asked the repairman about his work and what the shop had to pay for.
Alex decided to use his last two coins to buy a small share of this business too.
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Next door was a bicycle repair shop.
Ding! went a bell.
This place needed tools instead of seeds.
Alex and Grandma asked the repairman about his work and what the shop had to pay for.
Alex decided to use his last two coins to buy a small share of this business too.
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17 “Now it doesn't all depend on the flowers,” said Alex.
“That's right. One business may do well while another doesn't. But the repair shop could lose money too,” said Grandma.
Alex drew a flower on one card and a wheel on another.
Buddy kept one eye on the wheel.
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“Now it doesn't all depend on the flowers,” said Alex.
“That's right. One business may do well while another doesn't. But the repair shop could lose money too,” said Grandma.
Alex drew a flower on one card and a wheel on another.
Buddy kept one eye on the wheel.
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18 The next morning, Alex ran to the nursery with a ruler.
Then with a watering can.
Then with a very fast song about very fast flowers.
The flowers listened.
And carried on growing at their own speed.
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The next morning, Alex ran to the nursery with a ruler.
Then with a watering can.
Then with a very fast song about very fast flowers.
The flowers listened.
And carried on growing at their own speed.
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19 “But it's tomorrow already!” Alex said the next day.
Grandma showed him the calendar.
One page had given way to the next. But a new morning didn't bring new customers all by itself.
Alex turned another page.
Just in case.
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“But it's tomorrow already!” Alex said the next day.
Grandma showed him the calendar.
One page had given way to the next. But a new morning didn't bring new customers all by itself.
Alex turned another page.
Just in case.
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20 Buddy brought his ball.
Alex watched the seedlings.
Buddy put the ball on Alex's shoe.
Alex checked the notebook.
So Buddy lay right across the path.
Someone in this garden wasn't waiting for money.
He was waiting for Alex.
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Buddy brought his ball.
Alex watched the seedlings.
Buddy put the ball on Alex's shoe.
Alex checked the notebook.
So Buddy lay right across the path.
Someone in this garden wasn't waiting for money.
He was waiting for Alex.
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21 One night, an unexpected frost crept in.
By morning, some of the seedlings had wilted.
The owner gently lifted their little leaves. But some of the plants couldn't be saved.
Alex stopped turning the ruler in his hands.
The garden was very quiet.
22 “We won't be able to sell these plants,” said the owner.
The money for their seeds and trays had already been spent. The nursery hadn't earned enough to cover all those costs.
The business had lost money. Alex's little share was worth less now too.
All at once, he wished he could see his three coins again.
23 “Was it because I kept trying to hurry things?”
“No,” said Grandma. “You didn't bring the frost. Even a good business can run into trouble.”
“If I wait longer, will it all come back?”
Grandma put her arms around him.
“It might. But no one can promise.”
24 At home, Alex opened the blue pouch.
One. Two. Three.
His saved coins were still there. He hadn't put them into the nursery.
He had put two coins into the repair shop—a different business altogether.
Alex pulled the pouch shut again.
25 The next day, Alex picked up the ruler again.
He stood by the door.
Then he put it back.
“Come on, Buddy. I can check on things later.”
They ran down to the river.
The pinwheel spun so fast, it seemed to have a plan of its own at last.
26 The spring puddles dried up.
Sandals gave way to boots.
Alex outgrew a jacket.
Buddy didn't outgrow a single habit.
All that time, people kept working at the nursery and the repair shop.
Some days went well. Some didn't.
27 One day, after paying all its bills, the repair shop had made a profit.
The owners decided to share some of it.
Alex received a little of it too.
“For waiting?”
“For owning a share of the business,” Grandma explained. “People worked hard, and this time the business made money.”
28 The nursery still hadn't recovered from its losses.
Alex still hadn't bought the big paper dragon.
But now he knew there was more than one way for money to wait for the future.
Some stayed in a pouch.
Some went into a business, where no one knew for certain what would happen next.
29 Buddy nudged Alex’s hand.
Alex put his notebook aside.
What if, one day…
He imagined the red paper dragon dipping its broad back to welcome them aboard. Then up they went, gently, over the rooftops. Buddy’s ears flew like flags.
Below, the gardener tended surviving seedlings. The mechanic mended a bicycle. Alex’s five coins had helped buy seeds and tools.
Buddy nudged his hand again. Alex blinked.
He picked up his pinwheel.
Whirrr!
Buddy sneezed.
Off they went, together.
Some good things didn’t have to wait.
Draft storyboard · Alex and Buddy imagine a future flight. 30 Imagine these ten coins are yours.
Which would you spend now? Which would you save? Which, if any, might you put into a business with a grown-up's help?
Find ten buttons or draw ten coins. Make a plan of your own.
31 Divide your ten pretend coins among three places: Spend, Save, and Invest. You can leave any place empty.
You don't have to choose what Alex chose.
What do you want your money for? How long would you be willing to wait? What would change if the money you invested didn't come back?
Tell a grown-up about your plan.
Spend
Save
Invest There is a risk of loss.
Draw or place your own pretend coins. Any field can stay empty. 32 For the grown-up beside you This story is an invitation to talk, not advice about where to invest. Buying shares in small businesses is deliberately simplified here. The coins are imaginary units, and Alex's choices are not a model for dividing up a family's money.
Saving and investing are different. Money in a pouch doesn't grow by itself. A share means part ownership of a business, not the right to take a particular flower, tool, or money from the cash register.
Sales aren't the same as profit: a business has costs to cover. The owners may keep profits in the business or distribute some to its owners. There may be no payment at all. The payment in this story is not a return of Alex's original investment.
An investment can lose some or all of the money put into it. Different investments can reduce dependence on one business, but they don't remove risk. The story's two businesses offer only a first glimpse of that idea. Time doesn't guarantee growth or recovery from a loss.
Ask: “Why won't a coin sprout in the ground? How is owning a share different from buying a flower? Why did Alex keep his blue pouch?” Avoid calling a child's choices about the pretend coins “smart” or “silly.”
A child is not responsible for the family's income and does not have to invest. Any real decisions about a child's money need a responsible adult's involvement.
