Preface Prologue The oldest habit Artifacts and texts Sucksacks and whiskers Poor goose! Out of the woods Made in Portugal Charles Forster in Pernambuco From pegs to riches A family affair Going where the wood is An article for the million Advice and dissent The nasty instrument The toothpick man Cords of paper birch Trade secrets and closed doors Other toothpicks New uses for old Maurice, Oscar, and the industry The tragic heiress Exeunt Oscar and Maurice Foreign affairs Old gold and good wood Boxed and unboxed Woodpeckers and other dispensers Talking round a toothpick The fatal martini Improving on perfection The butler did it Epilogue
