Shan knows that Mr. Conley, the storekeeper, pays a penny each for good used paper sacks returned to the store. There are ten sacks at home, but Shan's mother tells him to take only nine to Mr. Conley, because the tenth sack has a hole in it. Shan wants a chocolate bar and a lemon soda pop so much, he disobeys his mother and takes the tenth sack. He carries the sack with the hole in it concealed among the nine good sacks, hoping Mr. Conley won't notice it.

Mr. Conley overlooks it, but Shan, eating his chocolate bar and drinking his lemon soda pop, discovers something is wronginside him and all around him.