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                         THE MONEY BOX
                           (c) 1978
                              by
                     Brian and Jan Thomas

One day, a little boy got an idea.  He began to make a money
box.  He thought that he would put it on a corner in the town,
and put a little sign with it saying, "Money Box -- God bless
those who put money in, and God forgive those who take more than
they need."

He went to a little corner where there was a grocery store.  He
went in and asked the man who owned the store if he could leave
a money box on his corner.  The man said, "Yes," so he put the
money box against the wall by the side window of the store, and
he put up the sign saying, "God bless those who put money in,
and God forgive those who take more than they need."

Well, the box stayed empty for many days, even weeks, but then
one day someone laughed and put a penny in.  Then, two days
later, someone else threw a penny in; then someone else, and
someone else, and someone else, and someone else, and someone
else.  Soon, the whole bottom of the box was covered with
pennies.  Then one day, someone threw in a quarter, and someone
else threw in a dime, and then someone threw in a dollar.

Now and then, someone who had no money would take a little from
the box to eat with, or to buy a bus token, but the money kept
growing, just the same.  Pretty soon, the box was overflowing,
and the money started falling off and onto the pavement.  People
passing by would aim a coin at box, and it would bounce and roll
in any direction.  Soon, the whole corner was covered with
money, and people passing by would just drop some money anywhere
in the area of the money box corner.

All over the town, people began talking about the money box.
"How far can it go?" "How long before some greedy person takes
all of the money?" Everyone talked about it, asked about it, and
wondered about it, and the money grew and grew and grew.  It
moved up the streets and down the streets, around the corners,
like a silvery, sparkling river, the money spread all over the
town, until there was money everywhere, and whenever anyone
needed anything, they just picked up a little money from the
street and went to buy it.  No one in the town worried about
money anymore, and everyone was happy -- except that the stores
were all closing, and soon, everything stopped.  Everyone had
all of the money they needed, so no one had to work any more.

All over the town, in the streets and everywhere, people talked
about it.  They picked up the money from the ground and they saw
that it was only metal, and they saw that they could not eat it,
and they had no use for it.  Money was worthless without
something to buy.  The people said, "What will become of us?  If
we go back to the old way, we will again be slaves to money, and
we will live our lives only for money, with no time for anything
else."

Then one of the town's people's houses burned down, and they saw
what they had to do.  Everyone gathered to help the poor man and
his family.  Some brought tools, others brought bricks and
boards.  Some knew how to build houses, and others knew how to
put the plumbing in and the roof on top.  The farmers brought
food, the musicians brought music, and by nightfall, the house
was built, and everybody was very happy.

The man the house was built for was very thankful, and he said
to all the people, "Thank you all so much.  I would like to give
you something, but all I had besides the house was some money in
the bank, and nobody wants money anymore." Everybody laughed at
that, but he went on.  "I have little to offer, but I am young
and strong, and I offer my services to any of you who ever need
help.  I will never again charge for my work.  I will give it
freely -- as all of you have done for me."

Then the farmer said, "The crops will soon need to be planted,
and the cows need to be milked, and the eggs gathered, and I
have no one to help me.  Since there is no money, I will pay
with food." And everyone said, "Yes!  We will help with the
chores and the crop."

Then the plumber said, "There are many pipes to be fixed in the
town, but I need three helpers." Someone said, "I will help,"
and someone else said, "I will help sometimes," and many others
offered to learn and to help.

Then the man from the hardware store said, "Yes!  And I will
give you the pipes and the materials you need, and I will
continue to run the hardware store and to order whatever the
town needs." The town's people all shouted, "Yes!  And we will
all help you to run the store and to carry the heavy boxes."

One after the other, the people of the town offered their help
to each other, and they all said, "Yes!  We will help each
other, and we will share."

Then they saw that they never really needed money, or wanted
money at all.  All they really ever needed, all they ever really
wanted, all they ever really had was each other.  From that day
one, they became known as the town without money, and everyone
worked and sang and shared and played.  Each one gave whatevey
he could, and each one was needed.  Each one belonged, and there
was no more money, and no more hiring, and no more worrying, and
everything that really needed to get done got done.  There was
laughter and joy and games, and just for the gift of living,
everyone said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

                            The End

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