1 Wendy and Tess watched Tim walk down the street. They could tell by the frown on his face he wasn't happy. "What's the matter, Tim?" asked Tess. "You look like you just lost your best friend."
2 "I think I may have," answered Tim.
3 "Tell us about it," added Wendy. "Maybe things aren't as bad as you think."
4 "I've been at my friend Matt's house," started Tim. "We got into a big fight."
5 "About what?" asked Tess.
6 "Well," continued Tim, "he has a big book about dinosaurs. He says he doesn't want it anymore. I would like to have the book myself."
7 "So what's the big problem?" asked Wendy.
8 "He wants to sell it to me," moaned Tim. "And I haven't any money. I spent all my allowance at the comic book store."
9 "Oh," sighed Wendy and Tess together.
10 "I know what you can do," said Wendy suddenly. "Do you have anything Matt would like to have?"
11 "Well, yeah," said Tim. "He's been hinting that he would like to have my extra
Bean Bag Boggs comic. How will that help?"
12 "That's how people used to get all the things they needed. They would trade or barter," said Wendy.
13 "I know what it means to trade something," said Tess. "But I don't know what it means to barter."
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