Short Stories for Kids

The lottery short stories for kids | English story for kids

Adaptation of the popular tale of Cuba

There was a peasant on the island of Cuba who was very fond of playing the lottery. Every week he bought a ticket in the hope that it would win him, but he was never lucky. Still, he was convinced that one day the winning number would be his.



It happened that one summer morning he left his house early to buy the ticket and he had the feeling that he was finally going to turn up. The hunch was so strong that instead of one ballot he bought ten of the same number so that the winnings were ten times greater. He ran out of money in his pockets but he didn’t care. His dream of wealth was about to come true!

He returned home happier than castanets and said to his wife:

– Tomorrow is the draw and I want to be in town when they say the winning number. If you see me return in a luxurious car it will mean that we are rich and you will be able to throw away all the furniture and junk that we have in this house because we will build a much bigger and more elegant one.

– I see you very convinced, dear. I hope you are not mistaken and tomorrow we can fill our bathtub with coins and bills!



That night the peasant could not sleep because of the nerves he felt in his stomach. As soon as the first rays of sunlight appeared, he went to the city at a brisk pace, with a smile from ear to ear and imagining what his new life would be like.

– I’ll have patent leather shoes, servants to bow to me, I’ll give big banquets at home and travel all over the world. It’s going to be great!

The woman, infected with illusion, stayed at home waiting impatiently. The waiting time seemed eternal! Every five minutes she went to the door to see if she saw her husband coming in a good car just as she had told him. Nervous, she told herself:

– Please, please, let our dreams come true. Let him come by car, come by car and not walk!

After four in the afternoon, the peasant woman saw in the distance a small smoke of dust and behind her, an impressive red convertible car, the kind that only the rich can afford. In it her husband came waving his arms vigorously, signaling him and shouting something that he could not hear.

– Oh, it’s amazing! My husband comes in a fancy car and screaming like crazy! We have won the lottery, we are millionaires!

The good woman began to jump for joy and ran into the house in excitement. Without thinking twice, he began to break all the ugly and old things he had: the dishes, the mirrors, the shelves, the clay pots he used to cook …

– Hala, all in the trash, I don’t need it anymore! From now on I will have a mansion and nice things everywhere. How sick I am of all these old-fashioned trinkets!

All the objects in the house were scattered on the floor, shattered and the woman looked at the destruction with a smile.

– Ugh, how comfortable I am! It will be great to decorate my new house with Chinese porcelain and silk tablecloths. I even plan to buy silver glasses to dazzle the guests! That’s the life I deserve!



The peasant’s wife was overflowing with happiness, but that happiness did not last long. Dumbfounded, she saw her husband appear in the dining room accompanied by a distinguished gentleman whom she did not know at all. The elegant gentleman smelled of expensive perfume and wore clothes worthy of a minister, but her husband arrived with his legs full of blows and leaning on two sticks as crutches to be able to walk. In split seconds, her smile froze.

– But what happened to you ?! It looks like you’ve been hit by a car!

The peasant, groaning in pain, replied very saddened:

– You said it! I was walking back from the city when this man accidentally ran me over and broke my legs!

– Oh Mother! And why were you yelling and fussing from the car? I thought you were screaming with happiness because our tickets had been awarded!

– Of happiness?! What do you say! I just yelled at you: Don’t throw anything, don’t throw anything, we haven’t won the lottery and I come with broken legs!

The woman dropped into a chair like a sack of potatoes. She looked around and saw with all the things that she herself had destroyed. Desolate, she realized that hunger for wealth and impatience had played a trick on her.

The couple never played the lottery again and never got rich. Thanks to the unfortunate incident, the two learned to live life trying to be happy with what they had.

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