Over 200,000 copies sold! Now with a newly refreshed design, this classic mathematical folktale tells the story of a clever farmer who outwits the Emperor of China and becomes the wealthiest man in the world—all starting with one grain of rice. When a humble farmer named Pong Lo asks for the hand of the Emperor’s beautiful daughter, the Emperor is enraged. Whoever heard of a peasant marrying a princess? But Pong Lo is wiser than the Emperor knows. And when he concocts a potion that saves the Princess’s life, the Emperor gladly offers him any reward he chooses—except the Princess. Pong Lo makes a surprising request. He asks for a single grain of rice, doubled every day for one hundred days. The baffled Emperor obliges—only to discover that if you’re as clever as Pong Lo, you can turn a single grain of rice into all the wealth and happiness in the world! A Bank Street Best Book of the Year for 9 to 12 Praise for A Grain of Rice : “Gracefully illustrated. . . . This original story set in fifteenth-century China will captivate readers and perhaps teach them a little about mathematics.” — Booklist   “ Clever and quietly told in simple, yet evocative language.” — Kirkus Reviews “Any young reader (with calculator handy) will enjoy the tale.” — Scientific American “[A] book that is wise and humorous , and one to be perused and savored.” — School Library Journal A Bank Street Best Book of the Year for 9 to 12 “Gracefully illustrated with finely shaded drawings. . . . This original story set in fifteenth-century China will captivate readers and perhaps teach them a little about mathematics.” — Booklist   “Clever and quietly told in simple, yet evocative language.” — Kirkus Reviews “Any young reader (with calculator handy) will enjoy the tale.” — Scientific American “Pittman invites readers into her story through her choice of concrete objects, sensory images, and universal messages. She borrows from the motifs of oral literature, and also weaves in information about arithmetical progression and 15th-Century Chinese people, patterns, and traditions. Pittman's well executed pencil drawings ooze with emotion, and there is a fusion of text and illustrations . . . [A] book that is wise and humorous, and one to be perused and savored.” — School Library Journal HELENA CLARE PITTMAN is the author of numerous books for children, including the acclaimed  A Grain of Rice , The Snowman's Path , The Angel Tree , and Once When I Was Scared . You can visit her at Helena Clare Pittman at helenaclarepittman.com. Once a year the Emperor of China opened his court so that even the humblest of his people couldcome before him. It was on one such day that Pong Lo, the son of a farmer, knelt at the Emperor’s feet.   “Imperial Majesty,” said Pong Lo, “I have come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.” The Emperor’s lords were shocked. The Princess Chang Wu, who stood near her father’s throne, lowered her eyes and blushed. “How dare you make such a request?” demanded the Emperor. His eyes were fierce and his long mustache twitched. The peasant pressed his forehead to the silken carpet.   “Forgive me, Your Majesty . . . ,” he mumbled. “Speak up!” commanded the Emperor. Pong Lo lifted his head. “. . . but I am more than qualified to be her husband!” he declared.   The lords giggled. “Qualified!” cried the outraged Em- peror, gripping his sword. “Such bold- ness qualifies you to lose your head!” “But it is my head which qualifies me!” replied Pong Lo. “It is wise and quick and more than a little clever, and would make me as fine a prince as China has ever seen.” “Prince!” shrieked the Emperor. “A peasant cannot be a prince! A prince must come from noble blood!” His mustache  twitched madly. “My blood may not be noble, Your Majesty,” returned Pong Lo, “but it, too, is clever.”   “What do you mean?” the Emperor demanded. “Though it has to find its way through seventy thousand miles of veins,” answered the peasant quietly, “it never fails to reach my heart.” Now the lords smiled behind their fans at Pong Lo’s skillful answer. Princess Chang Wu’s black eyes sparkled. “Enough of this!” growled the Em- peror, raising his sword. “Father,  wait!” The scent of lotus blossoms filled the air as the Princess rushed to the Emperor’s side. “Don’t be hasty, Father,” she begged. “The young man is clever. He could be useful!”   “He will be useful when his clever tongue is no longer flapping in his head!” the  Emperor snapped. “Father,” the Princess coaxed, “since he is so good with numbers, perhaps he can work in the storeroom.” The Emperor eyed the peasant shrewdly. Pong Lo’s head was once again pressed to the floor. He looked so humble.  The Princess smiled hopefully at her father and placed her hand gently upon his. Her touch was like the brush of silk stirring in a summer breeze. Suddenly the Emperor’s cares felt lighter. Sighing, the Emperor sat down again. “My gentle daughter,”