Luxury with an elegant look made from a fine mix of merino wool and silk.

But when a story is capably carried on small shoulders—a Huck Finn, say, or a Scout Finch—the result can be a fine mix of guilelessness and something wistful.

Urging these villagers to make roti in a solar cooker meets the same mix of rational and irrational resistance as telling an Italian that risotto tastes just fine if cooked in the microwave.