Jay Fossil Rumpus

Jay Fossil Rumpus is the gloriously odd proprietor of King's Hardware. He mangles Morrie and Suzu's names, calls nuts and bolts "pecans and lightning flashes," and requires them to answer a riddle before collecting Whit's order. His strange sayings amuse Morrie and irritate Suzu. Later, Morrie hikes back to return fifteen cents of extra change. Rumpus pretends to be outraged at the accusation that he gave away too much money, then becomes genuinely touched by the boy's honesty. He declares Morrie an honest young man and gives him two small boxes to take home. The eccentric shopkeeper turns a simple purchase into a memorable test of integrity and rewards doing right when the amount seems unimportant.