The boy’s new business rapidly spirals out of his control. He gains clientele from the wealthier part of town, which means more money and larger yards. His daily mowing capacity is three lawns and each lawn requires service once per week, which limits his ability to expand the business. According to his calculations, the boy could make $7,500 by the end of the summer if he mows every day without vacations, though he laments his lost summer free time.

The boy’s situation changes when a colorfully-dressed man with a bowl cut named Arnold Howell approaches him about lawn service. Arnold is a struggling stockbroker with “a cash-flow problem” (17), so instead of paying cash, he offers the boy stock. After Arnold briefly explains what the stock market is, the boy agrees to the arrangement.

The boy feels like his life and intelligence are average, so his sudden financial success confounds him. A few days later, Arnold informs the boy that he bought shares in a small coffin-making company, which confuses the boy until Arnold assures him that he didn’t literally buy coffins. Arnold notices something bothering the boy and learns about his workload predicament: The boy has too many job offers and not enough time in the day.