Mao's little red book (China)

The Red Guard students had gone prepared, taking a few crates of Mao’s little red book with them to spread the word.  After a few days at the village (see blog entry The two Mao brothers), when the villagers were starting to feel comfortable with them, they approached a more amenable villager and asked him if he’d like to have a copy of it.  After a brief hesitation, he accepted it. 


A few days later, he came back to the students, “You know that little book you gave me the other day?  Do you have another copy?”  Bingo, the students thought!  One convert!  And he’s going to convert someone else.  They handed over a second copy. 

Yet a few more days later, the same man came back with a request for a third copy.  This was going really well, the students thought.  At this rate, the man will have converted the whole village for them in no time at all. 

After a few more copies, the students thought they should investigate and get some details about this conversion process of his, “Why have you been asking for only one copy each time?  What do you do with the copies we give you?”  The man said, “Oh, it’s the best quality tobacco-rolling paper I’ve ever come across!”