A Market Day

On Sunday, MeeMee was up and about with the first rays of the rising sun. This Sunday was a market day and MeeMee has been long hatching plans for the big day. This was a huge event for the neighborhood. On market day, animals from all corners of the forest came to the clearing along the river bank to trade their wares. MeeMee especially craved for cocoa squares that he remembered from long ago. When they were little kids, Jerri's grandmother brought her a few squares which Jerri generously shared with her friends. MeeMee could still close his eyes and feel the delicious taste of the candy melting in his mouth. His mouth has watered just at the thought of it.

He plucked a bunch of ripe yellow bananas from his family tree and another bunch of red bananas. He decided to count the number of bananas in the two bunches. He began with the yellow bunch: "One, two, three, four. Four yellow bananas," he was quite proud of his counting skills." He turned to the red bunch: "One, two, three. Three red bananas," he said contentedly. At this point he stopped a little bewildered. How many bananas were there in all? He scratched his head and began plucking at his tail - the sign that he was deep in thought. Then suddenly it came to him. He remembered the rule he learned the other day with his friends: it does not matter how you count. The total is always the same. So he decided to start with the red bananas.

Jerri, on her way to the market, found him sitting quietly and nervously plucking at his tail, with two bunches of bananas in front of him. "What are you doing?" she asked, "Let's hurry. The market is about to open."

MeeMee appeared to wake up from a deep sleep. "Ah, Jerri. So good of you to stop by." And he told her of his quandary. He pointed to the bananas, "There are four yellow bananas and three red bananas, or, if you count in another way, three red bananas and four yellow bananas, but all-in-all, how many bananas are there?"

"Let's see," said Jerri. "You keep counting yellow bananas and red bananas, but why not to count just bananas? Look: one, two, three, four," Jerri counted yellow bananas. Then she turned to the red ones and continued: "five, six, seven. You got seven bananas, see?"

MeeMee was delighted to get a single number but still suspicious. "Seven you say. Let's check this." And he started counting with the red bunch: "One, two, three," he made a pause and glanced at Jerri. Jerri made a sign encouraging MeeMee to continue. Which MeeMee did: "four, five, six, seven. Seven again!" MeeMee inhaled deeply. "I do have seven bananas, don't I?"

"This you do," said Jerri. "And look. Isn't that interesting four bananas and three bananas together give seven bananas."

"Yes, right! Three bananas and four bananas also total seven bananas!"

"Let's hurry. I am sure I'll be able to trade a banana - look how big and ripe mine are - for a cocoa square. I am dying to have one in my mouth."