Alphonse was a motorcycle enthusiast who made a little extra money each October from his Halloween patch. It wasn’t a big patch, but Alphonse enjoyed raising the pumpkins and watching people pick their favorites. But, as happens, Alphonse grew older and arthritis prevented him from planting his pumpkins and he put the little patch up for sale.
Willard was a city fellow looking for some side income. He bought the pumpkin patch and told Alphonse he was going to convert it to raise chickens.
“It’s not for Mom,” Billy answered. “It’s for me. I’m going to wash my pet frog.”
“How many chickens do you think you can raise on my little patch?” Alphonse asked.
“I’ll start with fifty and go up from there.”
Alphonse thought he was being optimistic, but he didn’t argue.
A month later, he saw Willard carrying crates of eggs. “My goodness,” he said. “Did you get all those eggs from the chickens on my old pumpkin patch?”
“No. The first batch I planted never came up, so I’m starting again.”
