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Hungry Decisions
Man's Story - Have Children - Sell Grain - Forbid Rummaging
During the next five years you and your wife have three more children. Two
die in infancy; the other (a girl) lives, giving you five children. As
the children grow up they need more food; and even though your yield
has increased a little because of the fertilizer you have put on your
fields, food is becoming more of a problem for you and your family. To
make matters worse, the cost of goods and materials has increased sharply,
more than absorbing your increased yield. You had hoped that
more land would be available for you to farm. Members of your
family go hungry every day.
A wealthy man in town has offered you some money if your oldest daughter will come and live with him. He needs help cleaning the house, cooking the meals; and since he is all alone, he wants companionship. The money would be enough to buy some of the land you farm. This would provide more grain for your family, for less money would be needed for lease payments.
You and your wife discuss the merits and the dangers of allowing your daughter to go with this man.
If you decide to sell your daughter to this man, continue your story here.
If you refuse the offer, keeping your family together, continue your story here.