An Adjustment to Price

Most American people hate repeating the same work endlessly, especially those who live in the West America. They try their best to make their life colorful and their work interesting. If they have to do the same regular work, they'll try to do in different ways. Repetition and monotony are what they can't stand.

In the West of America, there is a beautiful old mountain village which is well known for its straw hats. The villagers there can make different styles of hats—hats for old gentlemen, for sweet and playful children, and for beautiful young ladies. People often go there to buy hats.

One day there came a young tourist who entered a millinery shop and found a very nice hat costing five dollars. He said to the shop-keeper, "If you agree to sell at a cheaper price, I'd like to buy two hundred hats of this style."

"No, you should pay me at least ten dollars each if you wish to get so many hats of the same style."

The tourist could not understand. "How's that?"

"Well," said the shop-keeper, "If you buy only one hat of this style, I can make it easily. If you order two hundred hats of different styles, I can also manage the business without much difficulty. However, it will almost bore me to death if you want me to make two hundred hats of the same style. So you at least pay me double price."