“Ten cent worth?” asked the shopkeeper.
“Yes,” said Willie.
The man put a weight on his scales and poured the nuts out of a small can. There were just enough nuts in it to fill the order. The man set the empty can on the counter, while he dumped the nuts from his scales into a paper sack. Willie picked up the can. He could not read the label on it. The characters were strange. He did not know whether they were Greek or Turkish or what they were.
“They’re good,” said Willie, picking up the nuts. “Where do they come from? Armenia?”
“No understand,” replied the merchant.
“Where from?” asked Willie again, holding up the bag of nuts. “Home?”
“No understand,” said the merchant, again.
Just then his wife came into the shop. She could speak English more readily. “What you want know?” she inquired.
Willie smiled. “Where these good nuts come from?” he said.
“Habib Mahaleb,” said the woman.