Short story - man buries money under a tree

September 20, 2008 3:28 PM

What is the name of the story in which a man buries stolen money under a sapling, ends up buying the house next door, and years later tries to retrieve the money only to find that the neighbor has already taken it and left newspaper clippings?

I think I read this twenty-five years ago and only recalled it today. Has anyone else heard of it?

posted by Mapes to Writing & Language (3 answers total)

I believe it was a Ray Bradbury short story. I cannot remember for sure, but I remember the time in which I read it and at that time -- several thousand years ago, my faded youth -- I was reading a lot of Bradbury short stories. The ending a great twist, a lot to like about that story.
posted by dancestoblue at 7:41 PM on September 20, 2008

Response by poster: I was probably reading Bradbury too at the time. Unfortunately, nothing's come up in the collections of Bradbury short stories I've looked through at the library.
posted by Mapes at 9:35 PM on October 22, 2008

Mod note: Final update from the OP:

Happy day! It is "Mr. Manning's Money Tree" by Robert K. Arthur. Found it here. Clearly it made a longlasting impression on at least one other person.

To those who responded/emailed, thank you very much for your hints in hunting down this title.

posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:46 PM on June 4, 2013