A small store that sells plum puddings is open during the Christmas season. The store lays out their plum puddings for customers to sample before they buy it. One of the townspeople wonders if any customers ever come in to sample them without intention of buying the puddings. A shopkeepers explains that each year, an older gentleman does just that. He enters the store, samples all the puddings, and leaves. She believes that the older gentleman may be too poor to actually buy the puddings, but is not sampling them out of any malice. He simply just enjoys trying all the puddings. As the shopkeeper describes the older gentleman, he walks in and begins to do his sampling. He is neatly dressed in an outfit that does not cost much. As he samples, the older gentleman critiques the flavors and makeup of each pudding. The townsperson, feeling guilty for the lack of money the older man has, offers to buy him a pudding. The older gentleman finds this act of service offensive and explains that the townsperson must have mistaken him for something else. However, feeling guilty that he denied their help, the older gentleman buys a pudding, despite having little money. The shopkeeper tries to explain that he can pay at the register, but the older man just puts the money in the shopkeeper's hands and leaves. The townsperson feels guilty and the older gentleman never returns again.