next village, which consisted of a small store and a scattering of houses. People gathered to look. Three fine streams of hot water spouted from holes in the jacket of the radiator. "That's easy to fix, " a man said. He sent a boy running for some green bananas. He patted me on the shoulder, assuring me that everything would work out. "Green bananas, " he smiled. Everyone agreed.

　　We exchanged pleasantries while I thought over the effects of the green banana. Asking questions would betray my ignorance, so I remarked on the beauty of the place. Huge rock formations, like Sugar Loaf in Rio, rose up all around us. "Do you see that tall one right over there?" asked my benefactor, pointing to a particular tall, slender pinnacle of dark rock. "That rock marks the center of the world. "

　　I was looking to see if he was teasing me, but his face was serious. He in turn inspected me carefully to be sure I grasped the significance of his statement. The occasion demanded some show of recognition on my part. "The center of the world?" I repeated trying to convey interest if not complete acceptance. He nodded. "The absolute center. Everyone around here knows it. "

　　At that moment the boy returned with my green bananas. The man sliced one in half and pressed the cut end against the radiator jacket. The banana melted into a glue against the hot metal, plugging the leaks instantly. Everyone laughed at my astonishment. They refilled my radiator and gave me extra bananas to take along. An hour later, after one more application of green bananas, my radiator and I reached our destination. The local mechanic smiled, "Who taught you about the green banana?" I named the village. "Did they show you the rock marking the center of the world?" he asked. I assured him they had. "My grandfather came from there, " he said. "The exact center. Everyone around here has always known about it. "

　①　 As a product of American higher education, I had never paid the slightest attention to the green banana, except to regard it as a fruit whose time had not yet come. 　②　 But as I reflected on it further, I realized that the green