A locked chest sits at the end of a jetty in a small island town. The key to open it lies on a nearby bench. The town’s citizens believe the chest to be full of valuable coins. Should they open it? After deliberating, they come to the conclusion that the treasure would do them more harm than good. And so the chest remains untouched on the jetty until it is eventually pushed into the water.
When the chest is hauled to the surface generations later, the townsfolk are surprised and delighted to discover that the coins are gone and it now contains only cutlery. The forks and spoons are hardly worthless – the chest has enriched the founding story of the town and, anyway, these people already know that the wealth of their community lies in the social bonds formed by sharing food, warmth and shelter.
