One Grain of Rice

Subtitled, A mathematical folktale, this story tells of a poor girl, Rani, who in trying to get the raja to see how his subjects are suffering, is able to persuade him to give her a grain of rice. Each day he must double the grain of rice, until on the 30th day, the rice numbers over a billion, so emptying the store he has collected from each year’s residue. In this way she shows him how he must be both wise and fair. The illustrations are superb and students would have a great time working out the maths to illustrate the story.