The Countess and the Impossible by Richard Thurman (The Five Dollar Yard)

The term five dollar yard is a cliche around our house. While pondering Bryony's next editing step and with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl For Kids' Sake merely hours away, the cliche is sure to be bantered about a bit. The story opens with a reserved older, wealthy woman rapping our protagonist on the head with her cane and offering a job caring for her lawn. Pay is dependent on performance, with five dollars being an excellance she's certain he'll never attain. At first, the boy doesn't care about top pay, but as the story progresses, he becomes more and more determined to reach that coveted goal. Read it for free online.