THE THALER

"Father, I need some money to go to the market!" It was a sunday in the Millman household. The family was busily buzzing away, doing chores and labor for the benevolent ministers of the glorious Kingdom of Prussia. Young James's job was to buy food

and materials from the market. "Well james, I don't have any paper money on me at the moment. Maybe you can slip the shopkeep some iron for the supplies?" James was shocked by this. His father was telling him to disobey one of the coveted statutes of the

land. It was recently passed into law that the only trade would have to use the Prussian Currency as a medium. "Dad, isn't that illegal?" James's father was undeterred in his evil ways. "Most people will take iron as payment,

it's fine James." Uneasily, James piled the iron into his napsack and headed for the market. Looking at his list, he went to go get some potatoes and wheat. He walked upto the shopkeep and stated his order. "That'll be 3 thalers." James was sweating beads

"Sir, May I pay in iron ingots?" The shopkeep froze in his place. His head turned to James, in utter disbelief. Then his face turned to that of an enraged one. "PAY IN IRON? WHO DO YOU TAKE ME FOR! BERGE? JESUS CHRIST! GUARDS! GUARDS!"

The guards ran up to the site of the debacle and asked what the noise was about. "Guards, this boy tries to pay for his goods in iron!" The boy was now crying furiously. "Boy, is this true?" Throughout the tears, the boy spat out a yes

and the guards dragged him off. 3 days later he was sentenced to death. USE THE THALER