Rare Book

The Rare Book is a funny story about a boy who loves to read.

There was a young boy who loved to read books. He read everything he could get his hands on, and loved going to his favorite book store and browsing throught the new titles. One day, the boy realized that he had read everything the store had to offer. He confronted the owner and asked him if he had anything else.

The owner looked at him gravely and said, “Yes… Yes I do!”

He reached behind the counter and pulled out an old book. Dusting off the cover, he showed it to the boy. The cover had a picture of a grotesque face and the title at the top read “The Book of Death”. The owner said that it was an extremely rare book.

“How much is it?” asked the boy eagerly.

The owner said that the rare book was worth almost $2000, but he would gladly sell it to the boy at a discounted price of $199.

The young boy scrimped and saved for weeks until he had enough money to boy the book. He ran down to the book store and threw his money on the counter. The owner handed over the rare book to the delighted boy. However, as the boy was leaving with his new purchase, the owner warned him never to read the first page.

The boy went home and opened the book. He made sure to skip the first page, carefully closing his eyes as he flipped the page over. He spent the rest of the evening reading. The book was mildly interesting and he was content with his purchase. However, for days afterwards, he always wondered what could be on that first page. It was always in the back of his mind.

One day, the temptation was too much for the boy. He flipped to the very front of the book and looked at the first page. Suddenly, he dropped the book in horror.

There, in bold print, were the words, “Recommended Retail Price: $1.99”.