“I'll explain,” said the fox. “Just outside Dupeland, there's a field called the Field of Wonders, whose soil happens to contain an unusually high concentration of microorganisms. What's a microorganism, you ask. That's a generic term that encompasses all the infinitesimal forms of life—bacteria, for example—that are impossible to see with the naked eye. Now, as you know, bacteria are usually detrimental to animal life. But in soil they cause organic wastes to decompose into essential growth nutrients! You know, of course, that if you were to plant an apple seed in fertile soil, it would grow into an apple tree with hundreds of luscious apples hanging from its branches. Well, it's the same thing with the gold piece you're going to plant. What you do is, you go to the Field of Wonders and you dig a hole. In that hole you bury a gold piece. After covering up the hole with dirt, you sprinkle it with water and then go to bed. During the night, the water and nutrients slowly seep through the porous outer layer of the coin. Now, as anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of science knows, when molecules pass through metal—or through a metal's magnetic field—they induce a high-voltage electric current. This strong current—combined with thermal vibrations, of course—is what actually starts the growth process. The coin blossoms and grows, and the next morning you find a beautiful tree that's loaded with shiny gold pieces.”

“Wow! So if I were to bury my five gold pieces,” cried Pinocchio, failing to see the flaw in the fox's apple tree analogy, “the next morning I would find…how many?”

“It's not hard to calculate your aggregate wealth,” answered the fox. “Say that each piece gives you five hundred. What you do is, you take five and, in your head, multiply that by five hundred. I know that sounds awfully cerebral, but the long and short of it is that the next morning you would find twenty-five hundred new, sparkling gold pieces.” The fox hesitated a moment, then added, “But I want to be completely honest with you because I like you. Some of the coins may not look as if they sparkle right away.”

“How come?”

“Since they grow out of the earth, you might find a slight residue of soil on some of them. That can hide their bright metallic luster. But if that happens, just wipe off the extraneous dirt with your fingers—then you'll see them sparkle. Also, I don't want you to have inflated expectations about the number of coins you'll find. The actual number really could range anywhere from about two thousand to three thousand. Of