CHAPTER 14

Jayden Jason

Jayden Jason James—known to many of his friends at school as Triple J—was called Jason at home. His brothers’ names were Jayden Justin, Jayden Jordan, and Jayden Jake. His sister’s name was Jayden Pink. Can you tell his parents really liked the name Jayden?

At home, Jason mowed the grass once a week. He hated this chore. Grass always got all in his clothes and made him super itchy. But mowing was the only way he could get his allowance—which was five dollars a week.

“Five dollars?!” he complained each time. “What can I buy with five dollars?”

“Not much,” his sister said.

“When I was your age, my allowance was one dollar a week,” his dad said.

“When I was your age, my allowance was one quarter a week,” his grandfather said.

“When I was your age, my allowance was one nothing a week. That’s right—I didn’t even get an allowance!” his great-grandfather said. “So be grateful!”

Jason was grateful.

(But he still wanted more money.)

So when he became king, Jason decided to do something about it—and not just for himself, but for all kids who needed more money. Jason called a big meeting in front of the castle. Thousands gathered to hear the new king’s decree.

“Hello, citizens! I’ve been thinking…” King Jason began. “Allowances are good, but they could be better. It’s always nice to have a little extra spending cash. That way you can get a slice of pizza, or go to the movies, or buy those cool new shoes—you know, the ones that your parents won’t buy you. But money is hard to come by. Especially when your dad makes you mow the grass for a meager five dollars a week.

“So, as of today, I am making a law: Every person—under the age of fifteen—gets a daily allowance of ten dollars!” King Jason declared. Everyone in the crowd—under the age of fifteen—cheered.

“Are you crazy?!” his advisors said, pulling him off the stage. “Ten dollars a day is seventy dollars a week, or three hundred dollars in an average month, or three thousand six hundred and fifty dollars a year—per person!”

“That doesn’t sound like a lot,” said Jason.

“There are over ten million children in this country. That means…” The advisors crunched numbers on their calculators to show him. The numbers kept getting bigger and bigger. The government was going to have to pay over $36,500,000,000 a year for his new law.…

Jason passed out for a second. When he woke up, he gulped and said, “That’s a lot of zeroes.”

“Of course it is,” his advisors said. “It’s over THIRTY-SIX BILLION dollars.”

Jason passed out again. When he woke up, he asked, “So what do I do?”

“Go out there and tell the people you take back that law.”

Jason looked at the crowd. All the kids were so happy and cheery. He didn’t want to ruin their day.

“I won’t do it,” he said. “I won’t take it back. You’ll just have to find some way to make it happen.”

“Fine. We’ll raise taxes,” the advisors said. And they did.

When Jason went to buy a slice of pizza, it cost two dollars. And the tax on it was also two dollars. When Jason went to buy a movie ticket for ten dollars, the tax was also ten dollars. When he went to buy that new pair of shoes he wanted (that his parents wouldn’t buy), they cost one hundred dollars. And the tax? Yup, another one hundred dollars.

“What gives?” Jason asked.

The advisors shrugged. “We made the taxes equal to everyone’s spending.”

Each and every person in the country was furious with Jason. Things were more expensive than ever. Food, gas, utilities, clothes, computers—everything was super-taxed!

He called another big meeting in front of the castle. This time, people threw slices of pizza and popcorn and old shoes at him.

When he got home, Benji and Fatima asked him to go to the movies. He looked in his pockets. He didn’t have enough. He asked, “Dad, can I have my allowance money?”

“Sure…” his dad said, “after you mow the grass.”