The Chocolate Touch

John’s parents are upset about John’s condition. When John comforts his mother and kisses her cheek, he’s horrified when she turns to chocolate. John runs out of the house and back to the corner where he found the chocolate shop. Rather than an empty lot, the store is there, and the window display—instead of the chocolate that was there before—is now items that John turned to chocolate: a pencil, a coin, his trumpet, and a lunch tray with utensils and food.

John finds the storekeeper polishing a small round disk. Confronting him, John demands that the storekeeper help turn his mother back and blames him for everything that happened. The storekeeper insists on honesty and asks that John admit he’s responsible for turning things to chocolate. John understands that his greed led to his mother being turned to chocolate and offers anything in exchange for getting his mother back. The man gives John another chance, explaining how everything he turned to chocolate will be turned back. John runs home, and the man returns to polishing his disk, which must be completely smooth and “ready for a new set of initials in case the need for them should arise” (120).