The Greengrocer Who Refused to Stock the New Potato

Everyone in the neighbourhood knew Marco's shop. It was small and old. It always smelled of fresh earth. Marco sold the best vegetables in the city. He was very proud of his shop.

But Marco had one rule. He sold only one type of potato: the Bintje. It was yellow inside and soft when cooked. He bought it from the same farm every week for thirty years. His customers liked it.

One Tuesday morning, a young woman named Petra walked into the shop. She was new to the neighbourhood. "Good morning," she said. "Do you have the new red potato? The Roseval? I need it for my grandmother's recipe."

Marco looked at her over his glasses. "No," he said. "I sell the Bintje. Only the Bintje."

Petra frowned. "But the Roseval is very good. My grandmother is visiting this Saturday. She is eighty years old. This recipe is the only dish she still wants to cook. She needs the Roseval. The Bintje will not work."

Marco picked up a Bintje. "This potato is honest," he said. "I know this potato. I trust this potato."

Petra came back on Wednesday and Thursday. Each time, she told Marco something new about the Roseval. On Thursday, she brought a photograph. It showed an old woman in a kitchen. She was laughing with a pan of red potatoes.

"That is my grandmother," Petra said. "She is not well this year. This Saturday is very important."

Marco looked at the photograph for a long time. He did not say anything.

On Friday evening, Petra found a small paper bag outside her door. Inside, there were eight red Roseval potatoes and a note.

*I called the farm. They had some. I am not changing my shop. But eight potatoes is not a change. — Marco*

Petra smiled. On Saturday, her kitchen smelled wonderful. In his shop, Marco was busy with his yellow potatoes, but he was also smiling.