It really is a clever ending to a well written short story.
It immediately brought to mind the end of the first (and vastly superior) "Time Machine" motion picture. That movie ended with two minor characters discovering that the Time Traveller had returned to the Eloi with three books from his study.
They don't know which three books and the movie ends with one character's question echoing in the filgoer's minds "Only ... which three books would YOU take?"
"...sticks and stones..."
Good question...
1) Bible(old and new testaments)
2) A good Algebra text book..
3) A good World History Text Book..