I bought a packet of mints the other day. It was an impulsive at-the-counter acquisition, because they came in a really nice tin. 
I was in a handicraft store run by a not-for-profit community organisation, so naturally, the mints were quite expensive – 
But, as the sales girl explained, they were Fair Trade mints. 
I congratulated myself on my utterly unique and highly ethical purchase, lobbed a handful of the little green teardops into my mouth and headed to my car.
They tasted a bit strange, but according to the tin, this was because they contained green tea, ‘scientifically proven’ to 
‘Wowee,’ I thought. ‘Not only do these things save villages in the developing world, they ward off bad breath of mythical proportions!
‘I got myself a flipping bargain!’
I shared some with my son. He liked the subtle interlocution between the mint and green tea flavours – 
But he was quick to point out the claims about dragon breath were bollocks. 
When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. And to begin with, I felt a bit gullible for buying into the whole dragon-breath calumny. But once I had the chance to mull it over, I realised I should be outraged, not ashamed.
My simple good intentions – and those of handicraft-buying mint suckers everywhere – have been taken advantage of! 
How the light gets in 
Haha! This is great! 🙂
I’m glad you liked it! It was a nice welcome back to see your comment.
Your back! Yay!! I’ve missed your musings and laughed loudly at this one. If there’s one type of marketing I fall for it’s the type that appeals to my inner hippy. I now want these mints quite badly…
Great to hear from you! I’ve just been getting back into reading some of your posts I missed, too.
The mints were actually quite good, by the way, and lasted me weeks and weeks. They were more like $7 than $170, and you can get them at Oxfam xx
Although I should point out that the tears might have been a fictitious indulgence, the description of the ‘scientific’ dragon breath label and ensuing conversation are 95 to 98 per cent accurate!
Greatly entertaining Psyren, great to see that you’re back into the fray. Thank you I enjoyed it immensely. Just a thought though…could “dragon breath” be the result of dragon eating? Those Asabukians need to get whatever protein is available into ’em I hear tell!
Thanks, Stranger! Interesting theory 😉
Genius! Gentle dry humour. Keep ’em coming
Ps your son is destined for great things
Thank you! My son agreed whole-heartedly with your assessment 😉
haha this is great 🙂
Cool. Thank you!
So charming! What a fantastic story! I loved the drawings too. So funny, and sweet. Your son’s logic is impeccable. 🙂 I kind of want to see a picture of the dragon, but I love the story without it too. 🙂 The drawings of your son remind me of The Little Prince. And your sense of humor, too. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us – you are a treasure.
The Little Prince? What a lovely comparison! And thanks for the tip about the dragon – I didn’t even think of drawing one. I’ll save that for another story 🙂
How much did the mints cost? 🙂
Ok now I have read through your other comments I see they didn’t cost $170. 🙂 anything is believable these days! 🙂 happy birthday soon Rach!
Lols. I’ve had a few incredulous people ask if they really cost that much. When she said $6.95 or $7.95 or whatever it was, I reeled a bit, so I think it’s fairly safe to say if they were $170, I would’ve chuckled uncomfortably and put them back down 🙂
Thanks for the birthday wishes xx
You know you could never have put those mints back no matter how much they cost! After all, it’d be like saying you didn’t care about those hard-working Abasukians and their newly-vaccinated babies. Two tins for me!