ocoa, spices, and particularly the various fibres.

The recital of the tales, of how the white man used these things to
make the various needed articles, and how the great ships were employed
to carry the goods to and fro, and how the different things were
exchanged, interested him.

Many of the subjects were not within his comprehension. Why were all
these things done? What was the object of having so many products?

John told him that when men had everything they really needed to keep
them alive and in comfort, they still wanted something more, and those
things were called luxuries; then, after they and their children used
these luxuries for a while, they found them to be absolutely essential
and they then became necessaries. In that way men learned the use of so
many, many things, that the whole world was being searched to find
products which would serve to make the needed things.

"Do you mean," said the Chief, "that your people are trying to find
things they do not need, so they can buy them, and try to make some use
of them?"

John could not help but smile at the acuteness of the question. "That,
in effect, is just what they do. It is not so considered, however, by
our people. It is difficult to say just where necessity ends and luxury
begins. But each year, yes every month, new things are brought out, and
people begin to buy them, because the traders and the people who sell
are shrewd and know how to cultivate taste and the desire for new and
startling things."

"But how do the people get the articles to exchange for these things?"

"The people do not accumulate articles to buy other articles with.
Instead, they work to get money, and with this money they buy the
things."

"I do not know what you mean by that. What is 'money'?"

"It is an article which tells what everything else is worth."

"Then it must be wonderful. I would like to see that remarkable thing
which can tell what everything else is worth."

John took some of the coins from his pocket. "Here is some of it, which
we use on Wonder Island."

The Chief smiled. He held them in his hand. He knew the meaning of the
hole in the center. They were intended, as he thought, to be threaded on
a string, and used as an ornament.

They fascinated him. He had never seen anything so attractive. He looked
at John, while he thought, but did not speak. Then John said: "This is
worth one cent, and this larger one five cents."

He compared the two. Final