書蟲1級《彩票大贏家》2. 中獎的彩票

2. The winning ticket.

Jason Williams came home and sat down on his bed. He was twenty-two years old. He lived with his father and mother in three small rooms at the top of a tall building. Every day he went out, but he did not go to work. Jason stole things. Sometimes he stole things from shops or cars; and sometimes he stole money from old people like Emma Carter. Today he was angry.

I took that old woman's bag,' he thought. 'What did I get? Two pounds, seventy-four pence, and a lottery ticket! And it was an old, cheap bag too.'

Two pounds, seventy-four pence, and a lottery ticket!'

Jason knew about lottery tickets. He bought five tickets every weekend. He put Emma's lottery ticket in his pocket and forgot about it. Then he went out for a drink.

At the hospital a nurse put Emma to bed in a room with five other women. There was a television in the room, and at eight o'clock everybody watched the lottery. For a minute Emma watched too, but she felt very tired and soon she closed her eyes and slept. So she did not hear the winning numbers for that week's lottery...

On Sunday at twelve o'clock Jason got out of bed and made some tea. Then he opened his father's newspaper and found the winning lottery numbers: 5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41. He checked his five lottery tickets. 'No good!' he said.

Then he remembered the old woman's ticket and checked those numbers too: 5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41. He checked them three times. Six winning numbers!

I'm a winner!' he said. He kissed the ticket. Then he ran into the living-room and kissed his mother.

Here, what's the matter, Jason?' said Lily Williams. Jason sometimes hit her, but he did not usually kiss her. Her cigarette fell out of her mouth.

The lottery! I'm this week's winner, Mum! Look – six winning numbers. I'm rich!'

I'm this week's winner, Mum! I'm rich!'

Jason's father came into the living-room. 'What's all this noise?' he said.

Joe, Joe!' said Lily. 'Jason's got six winning numbers in the lottery. We're rich!'

Wrong!' said Jason. 'I'm rich.'

His mother and father began to speak at the same time. But Jason did not listen. He went out to the telephone box in the street and made a very important telephone call.

On Monday morning a policeman came to the hospital with Emma's new shoes.

A little girl found them in the street and took them to the police station,' he said.

How kind of her!' said Emma.

We found your bag too,' said the policeman. 'But there's nothing in it, Mrs Carter. I'm sorry.'

It doesn't matter,' said Emma. 'I'm very pleased to have the bag. My son gave it to me a long time ago. He lives in Australia, but he telephones me every week... And now I've got my new shoes too. Thank you very much.' Suddenly she felt happier.

That evening an ambulance took Emma home. She made a cup of tea and sat down to watch the television news.

The newsreader smiled into Emma's living-room.

And now for this week's lottery winner. The winning numbers were: 5, 12, 23, 24, 38, 41. And here is the man with the winning ticket – Jason Williams! Jason is twenty-two and now he's a rich man. He's got a cheque from Sunshine Lotteries for five million pounds. That's a lot of money! Well, Jason, how are you feeling tonight?'

Wonderful!'

And what are you going to do with your money?' 'Oh, I'm going to buy a house with fifty rooms, and a big expensive car. I'm going to go to New York, Miami...'

Emma looked at the young man on the television. Jason Williams had a big smile on his face, but he had long, dirty brown hair, brown eyes... Emma sat up quickly. 'That's the man!' she thought. 'I remember his face. He hit me and snatched my bag, and stole my lottery ticket – my winning ticket, with my winning numbers!'

She got up and went to the telephone. 'Hullo – police?' she said.