The One-Cent "discount"

After I finished talking to the black man, I bought a few books. The price came to five dollars and forty cents. Before I paid the man at the counter, I was talking to him for a while. I asked him if he was the new owner. He said, "Yes, I am."    

So I said, "Good luck!" I said many other nice things to him also.    

Then, when I reached into my pocket, I saw that I had a five dollar bill, plus a quarter, a dime and four pennies. I said to him, "I have here five dollars and thirty-nine cents. If you do not want to accept it, I will give you a twenty dollar bill."    

He grabbed the twenty dollar bill. He wanted to have the twenty, instead of five thirty-nine. Then when he was about to give me the change, he said, "Not worth it!" He returned the twenty, and took my five thirty-nine.    

I said, "Fine!"    

I should one day give him a hundred books free. His spiritual section is nothing—all rubbish novels.    

[Source: "The One-Cent 'discount' " in Sri Chinmoy,  I Love Shopping, Part 1.  First published by Agni Press in 1985. Copied from the web pages of  www.SriChinmoyLibrary.com/sri-chinmoy-love-shopping/part1.]