asedhadbeeahabit,asnaturaseatinganddrinkihenturoDwarfMickeyandsaid,

    “Iwantsomemorewine.Pourmesomemore.”DwarfMickeypouredsomemoreforhimandheagainyontheolddwarf’shandanddrank.Whenhisthirstwasfinallysatisfiedafterafewmorerounds,Mr.Fitedhistummyandsighedtently,“Thewinebugsinmytummyarefinallysatisfied.Ohyes,thatyoungwomandroppedapieceofpaper.Whatwasit?”

    “It’salottoticket.Itmightbringhergreatluck.”

    “Letmeseeit.Letmeseeit”heordered.

    “Whatdoyouwanttolookatitfor?Youdon’tknowanythingaboutit.”Takiicketoutofhispockethereadthesixfiguresoutloudandtoldthelittleman.“Therearesixfiguresonthisticket.Everyohemhastofitthehateoutofthelottomaeiowinthegrandprize.”

    “That’stoohard.I’mnotiedinitatall.”

    “IfyouwereiedIcouldeasilyletyouwinthefirstprize.Don’tfetIamthegodofwealthinchargeofallthewealthintheworld.Imakeanythinghappen.Howaboutit?Begme,kow-towtomeandIwillletyouwin.”

    “Evenifyoutakeallthemoheworldandputitbeforemyeyes,Iwon’tevenlookatit.Ofwhatuseismoney?moneybuyawomanofmysize?No.WhatIwantisawomanthatsuitsme.Ofwhatuseisallthemoheworldtome?all.”

    “Iuandyoursorrow”sighedDwarfMickey.“IknowbecauseIsufferfromthesamemady.Whereyoufindawomanthesizeofafihatwouldsuityou?Takemeforinstance.Iambiggerandtallerthanyou,butIamamidget.WhereIfindfemalemidgetforamate?I’mafraidthatyouandIaredestiobesolitarybachelorsourwholelives.”Onthisbeautifulspringday,whenthewarmsunwasshiningandflowerswereblooming,thetwolovelornbachelorsisatinthenarrowalleytryingtodrowntheirsorrowwithliquor.Butas,noamountofwineakethemfetthesorrowintheirhearts.

    3

    Ashadowstreakedpasttheentrandthenturnedbadehealley.Itwastheyoungwomanwithshort,chichaircutwhohadjusthelpedDwarfMickeyattheliquorstore.Shewaswearingthefadedbluejeansandsleevelesst-shirtandwasseargthegroundilyasiflookingforsomething.Assoonasshegotonthebus,shediscoveredthatshehadlostherlottoticket.Thoughitwasworthonlyadolr,itrepresentedallthewealthshepossessed.Sheowedadebtofunimaginablesizeandhadtopincheverypenny.Ofcourse,thedebtwasofherownchoosing,somethiookonasherresponsibility,foritwasinceivableforayounggirllikehertohavegotteninsodeepallbyherself.EngrossedinhersearchshewasunawareofhersurroundingsanddrewowhereDwarfMickeywassitting.

    “Mygood-heartedyoungdy,whatareyoulookingfor?Coulditbethislottoticket?”Theyounggirlraisedherheadandsawtheolddwarfholdingasmallpieceofpaperinhishand.Hereyeslightedupandexcimed,

    “Ohyes,that’sit!IwaslookingforthelottoticketIjustbought.Imightjusthitthejack-pot.Whoknows?”

    “Couldyoutellmewhyyouwanttowinthejack-pot?PerhapsImightbeabletohelp.”

    “Noonehelpme”sighedtheyounggirl.“Ioweahugedebt.EvenifIwasabletohitthejack-pot,itwouldonlybeafraofwhatIowe.”

    “Howmueydoyouowe?”askedMr.FingerwhohadfinallyfinisheddrinkingthewineinDwarfMickey’shandandraisedhisheadtojoinintheversation.“Thisoldguy,thislittledwarfwillbeabletohelpyou.”WhenMr.Finger’seyesectedwiththoseoftheyounggirl,bothofthemrecoiledasifstruckbylightning.

    “Sohereyouare,Mr.Finger”excimedtheyounggirngrily.“IfIhada

asedhadbeeahabit,asnaturaseatinganddrinkihenturoDwarfMickeyandsaid,

    “Iwantsomemorewine.Pourmesomemore.”DwarfMickeypouredsomemoreforhimandheagainyontheolddwarf’shandanddrank.Whenhisthirstwasfinallysatisfiedafterafewmorerounds,Mr.Fitedhistummyandsighedtently,“Thewinebugsinmytummyarefinallysatisfied.Ohyes,thatyoungwomandroppedapieceofpaper.Whatwasit?”

    “It’salottoticket.Itmightbringhergreatluck.”

    “Letmeseeit.Letmeseeit”heordered.

    “Whatdoyouwanttolookatitfor?Youdon’tknowanythingaboutit.”Takiicketoutofhispockethereadthesixfiguresoutloudandtoldthelittleman.“Therearesixfiguresonthisticket.Everyohemhastofitthehateoutofthelottomaeiowinthegrandprize.”

    “That’stoohard.I’mnotiedinitatall.”

    “IfyouwereiedIcouldeasilyletyouwinthefirstprize.Don’tfetIamthegodofwealthinchargeofallthewealthintheworld.Imakeanythinghappen.Howaboutit?Begme,kow-towtomeandIwillletyouwin.”

    “Evenifyoutakeallthemoheworldandputitbeforemyeyes,Iwon’tevenlookatit.Ofwhatuseismoney?moneybuyawomanofmysize?No.WhatIwantisawomanthatsuitsme.Ofwhatuseisallthemoheworldtome?all.”

    “Iuandyoursorrow”sighedDwarfMickey.“IknowbecauseIsufferfromthesamemady.Whereyoufindawomanthesizeofafihatwouldsuityou?Takemeforinstance.Iambiggerandtallerthanyou,butIamamidget.WhereIfindfemalemidgetforamate?I’mafraidthatyouandIaredestiobesolitarybachelorsourwholelives.”Onthisbeautifulspringday,whenthewarmsunwasshiningandflowerswereblooming,thetwolovelornbachelorsisatinthenarrowalleytryingtodrowntheirsorrowwithliquor.Butas,noamountofwineakethemfetthesorrowintheirhearts.

    3

    Ashadowstreakedpasttheentrandthenturnedbadehealley.Itwastheyoungwomanwithshort,chichaircutwhohadjusthelpedDwarfMickeyattheliquorstore.Shewaswearingthefadedbluejeansandsleevelesst-shirtandwasseargthegroundilyasiflookingforsomething.Assoonasshegotonthebus,shediscoveredthatshehadlostherlottoticket.Thoughitwasworthonlyadolr,itrepresentedallthewealthshepossessed.Sheowedadebtofunimaginablesizeandhadtopincheverypenny.Ofcourse,thedebtwasofherownchoosing,somethiookonasherresponsibility,foritwasinceivableforayounggirllikehertohavegotteninsodeepallbyherself.EngrossedinhersearchshewasunawareofhersurroundingsanddrewowhereDwarfMickeywassitting.

    “Mygood-heartedyoungdy,whatareyoulookingfor?Coulditbethislottoticket?”Theyounggirlraisedherheadandsawtheolddwarfholdingasmallpieceofpaperinhishand.Hereyeslightedupandexcimed,

    “Ohyes,that’sit!IwaslookingforthelottoticketIjustbought.Imightjusthitthejack-pot.Whoknows?”

    “Couldyoutellmewhyyouwanttowinthejack-pot?PerhapsImightbeabletohelp.”

    “Noonehelpme”sighedtheyounggirl.“Ioweahugedebt.EvenifIwasabletohitthejack-pot,itwouldonlybeafraofwhatIowe.”

    “Howmueydoyouowe?”askedMr.FingerwhohadfinallyfinisheddrinkingthewineinDwarfMickey’shandandraisedhisheadtojoinintheversation.“Thisoldguy,thislittledwarfwillbeabletohelpyou.”WhenMr.Finger’seyesectedwiththoseoftheyounggirl,bothofthemrecoiledasifstruckbylightning.

    “Sohereyouare,Mr.Finger”excimedtheyounggirngrily.“IfIhada