Down the back of the sofa

Down the Back of the Chair is one of Margaret Mahy’s picture book gems.

In it Dad finds all sorts of weird and wonderful things, including a will which brings them a fortune.

My farmer didn’t find a fortune down the back of the sofa. But when he up-ended it last night, out fell $58.60 in New Zealand coins, an Australian 5 cent piece, a pencil, a peanut and some other detritus which suggest that someone ought to tip it up more often – and have a vacuum cleaner handy when s/he does so.