Read Selby's Shemozzle for Free Online Page B

because that’s the first number on my card.’
    Selby was daydreaming about giving away millions of dollars, so he wasn’t paying attention when the first ball came to a stop. Then he looked and looked again.
    â€˜Hey!’ he said. ‘It
is
seventeen! How do you like that?’
    Another ball rolled down. This time Selby was paying attention.
    â€˜I need five more,’ he thought. ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if I got my next one? Come on, sixty-three.’
    The second ball rolled and rolled and then finally came to a stop.
    â€˜Sixty-three!’ Selby said. ‘Beginner’s luck. I got my first two numbers. Maybe I should turn off the TV while I’m still feeling good. I know I won’t get three numbers in a row.’
    Selby was about to turn off the TV when the next ball dropped.
    â€˜Forty-two?’ he said, looking at his card. ‘That’s my third number! I can’t believe it! That’s three. All I need is three more.’
    Selby watched the next ball start rolling down the long slide.
    â€˜Eighty-nine,’ he thought. ‘I want it to be eighty-nine.’
    The ball finally stopped.
    â€˜Eighty-nine!’ Selby cried. ‘All I need is two more numbers and I’ll be a multi-multimillionaire! I’ll be rich! Oh, please let the next one be seventy-one. Please, please, please!’
    Selby took a deep breath.
    â€˜Calm down. Lots of people get the first four numbers — it doesn’t mean a thing. I’ve got to stay cool or I’m going to feel really, reallyhorrible when I lose. Come on, number seventy-one. Selby needs a seventy-one.’
    The yellow ball rolled down and down the slide. Selby took a deep breath and put his paws over his eyes. Then he opened them very slowly.
    â€˜Seventy-one!’ he screamed. ‘I can’t believe it! All I need is a fifteen and I’ll win! Come on, fifteen!’
    The next ball shot up the tube and then started rolling down and down like the others.
    â€˜I think I see a one on it!’ Selby squealed while the ball was still rolling. ‘Yes, it’s definitely a one — and a
five!
There’s a one and a five! Oh, please, please don’t let it be fifty-one! Come on, fifteen! Come to Selby! Selby wants you! Selby
needs
you! Selby loves you, number fifteen!’
    Selby jumped higher and higher till his head almost hit the ceiling. His heart pounded. His lungs were bursting. Sweat poured down his face.
    Then finally the ball stopped.
    Selby lay on the floor, gasping for breath, as he struggled to make sense of what had happened.
    â€˜No,’ he mumbled as he crawled towards the TV. ‘It’s got to be a mistake. Am I wrong? Am I reading the number wrong? No! It’s fifteen! It’s beautiful, gorgeous number fifteen!
I’ve won!!!!! Yiiiiipppppppeeeee!’
    Selby panted, clutching his crumpled lottery ticket.
    â€˜Some very lucky person,’ the announcer on TV said, ‘has just won ten million dollars, you lucky dog, you!’
    â€˜Little does he know,’ Selby thought, ‘that the lucky dog
is
a lucky dog. I’m a millionaire! I’m a
ten
millionaire! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! What am I going to do with all that dough?’
    Visions of things to buy danced in Selby’s head.
    â€˜Of course, I’ll give most of the moolah to charity,’ Selby said, ‘but I might keep a little bit for a new TV — one of those big flat ones that’s as big as a wall. The Trifles wouldn’t know where it came from.’
    Selby smiled as he imagined the surprise on the Trifles’ faces.
    â€˜Of course, we’ll need one of those new satellite dishes that gets thousands of programs.And a better DVD player and some of those fantastic huge speakers. We could have a whole entertainment room with seats like a movie theatre. But hang on a tick — this house is too small.’
    Selby thought again.
    â€˜I’ll buy a new