One sunny afternoon in the town of Tickleberry, 10-year-old Kian was bouncing down the street with a huge grin on his face. Why? Because Grandma had just given him ?500 as an early birthday gift.
"Five hundred whole rupees!" Kian whispered dramatically to himself, holding the note like it was a royal scroll. "This is it. I'm officially rich."
But then he paused. "Where do rich people keep their money?" He looked at the note and then at his pockets, which were filled with marbles, candy wrappers, and one suspiciously squished samosa.
"Grandma!" Kian called, running back into the house. "Do you have a pouch or bag or something I can keep my money in? I want to protect it like treasure!"
Grandma, who was watering her plants, smiled. "There's an old trunk in my room with some of your grandpa's old things. You can check there."
Kian dashed into the room and opened the trunk. Inside were dusty photo albums, ancient socks, and an old, leather wallet wrapped in cloth.
"Ooooh," Kian said, brushing it off. It looked boring on the outside but kind of cool - like something a secret agent might use. "Perfect!" he said and slipped his money in.
The moment the note touched the inside of the wallet, it let out a loud BURP.
"Excuse me!" the wallet said in a snooty British accent. "Also, you've just added ?500, and I suggest you don't spend it all on bubble gum or those suspicious alien toys."
Kian jumped and dropped the wallet. "You? TALK?!"
"Indeed. I'm here to help you save. Children today are far too quick to spend, and I, Mr. Witty Wallet, will not allow foolishness."
Kian blinked. "Did Grandma give me a haunted wallet?"
"I'm magical, not haunted," said the wallet, offended. "Now let's get started with your first lesson in smart spending."
Kian strolled into the grocery shop, eyes locked on a giant bar of chocolate called "Mega-Mega Choco Explosion Deluxe 9000."
He pulled out the wallet.
"Oh no you don't!" the wallet barked. "?200 for sugar wrapped in sugar? Absolutely not!"
"But it's deluxe!" Kian argued.
"It'll last five minutes and disappear faster than your homework when your mum walks in," the wallet sniffed.
So Kian bought a smaller bar for ?20.
"I'm proud of you," the wallet said, sniffling like it was watching an emotional movie. "You've just saved ?180. That's like? 18 samosas, you know."
Kian grinned. Maybe saving money wasn't so bad.
The next day, Kian visited the new toy store in town, "Toymageddon." Bright lights flashed, robots danced, and one toy - a remote-controlled dinosaur that burped fire sounds - caught Kian's heart instantly.
"I must have it," he said dramatically.
He reached for his wallet.
"?480?" the wallet shrieked. "That's 96% of your money! Do you even know percentages yet?!"
"But it BURPS FIRE."
"You burp too. Should I charge your mum ?480 to keep you around?"
Kian sighed. "You're no fun."
"I'm no fool either," said the wallet. "Let's come back in two days. If you still want it, we'll think about it."
So Kian walked away, reluctantly.
Two days later, he didn't even like the toy anymore.
"That's the magic of waiting," said the wallet, smugly. "It saves you from buying things you don't really want."
Kian couldn't argue with that.
Then came the best idea Kian ever had. "I'll start a lemonade stand! I'll make money instead of spending it!"
The wallet was overjoyed. "Brilliant! I love investments."
Kian spent ?100 on lemons, sugar, and cups. He even made a funny sign:
"Kian's Legendary Lemonade - So good, your tongue will dance!"
By afternoon, he'd sold 25 glasses at ?10 each. That's ?250!
"I made ?150 profit!" Kian cheered, dancing like a jellybean in a microwave.
The wallet whistled proudly. "You spent wisely, worked smart, and earned extra. You, my friend, are growing into a money master."
Later that week, Kian told his best friend Zara about the talking wallet. She laughed so hard she snorted.
"A talking wallet? What next, a wise-cracking piggy bank?"
Just then, Kian's wallet mumbled, "Well, I think she's rude."
Zara shrieked, "IT TALKS?!"
After she calmed down, Zara said, "I wish I had one too. I just blew ?200 on glitter slime that dried up overnight."
Kian patted her shoulder. "You don't need a magic wallet. You just need to think like one."
They laughed, but Zara got it.
From then on, they played a game called "Wallet Wisdom." Every time they wanted to buy something, they'd ask three questions:
Do I really need it?
Will I still want it next week?
Is it worth the money?
By the end of the month, Kian had saved ?700, earned ?150 from his lemonade stand, and spent only ?150 - all wisely.
Grandma beamed when she heard. "I gave you ?500, and now you're richer than when you started!"
Kian smiled. "All thanks to a wallet I found in your old trunk."
The wallet bowed. "And your surprisingly good brain."
That night, Kian looked at the wallet on his shelf. It winked.
"Good job, kid," it whispered. "Now don't spend all your money on samosas."
"I'll just buy two," Kian replied, grinning.
