The Gambler's
Misfortune
By A.J.
Long ago, there was a village that showed no mercy for wrong doers. Almost every other day someone was killed. In the town lived a gambler who was pretty wealthy, but he cheated the other gamblers in cards. His secret was that while no one was looking, he switched the card deck for one that was specially chosen. His family kept on telling him not to cheat or misfortune would come upon him. But the gambler did not listen and kept on winning. He never lost no matter who the opponent was. The opponent always lost his money to the gambler. Soon the gambler became famous throughout the land.
Months went by and still the gambler had never met his match. No one could beat him in any card game. Soon he was so famous that whenever he went outside, the people bowed to him as if he was an Emperor. He started to wear gowns of silk and all rich clothing. His family still tried to warn him, "Do not cheat or misfortune will come upon you." But he just ignored the warning and kept playing hi games.
His wife decided to have a big dinner so they could discuss this gambling problem. The dinner smelled delicious. It took the wife all day to cook, and she even used her special herbs and spices.
When they sat down for dinner. The food was served in her special porcelain china dish. The chopsticks were implated with gold. It looked like there was enough fried rice for 50 people. The wife had hired a chef to make a big butter pagoda. The pagoda was 2 feet tall. The shrimp was the size of your palm, and there were gowns of silk draped all over the floor.
Then they started talking of the good old days when they were young. The wife started to head the conversation. toward how he gambled. Then the wife got to the point and told him in a calm voice to stop gambling or misfortune would surely come. The gambler stood up quickly and yelled, "WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO A WOMAN?!" The wife was so furious she took her son and left.
The gambler sat down again and had a fortune cookie, the fortune inside read, "A stupid man dies a stupid death." The gambler thought nothing of it and finished his meal.
The next evening he went over to the bar. Everybody left the bar when he came in. There the Governor sat. The bar tender signaled that there was the gambler who'd never lost a card game. Then the Governor said, "You will play my gambler and whoever loses dies." Then the gambler saw a vision of his wife saying, "It will only cause misfortune." But suddenly, he said without thinking he murmured, "OK." At that instant the vision disappeared.
It had been a week now and the gambler had headed over to the bar. He had been ready to enter the bar when he saw his wife talking to the wealthiest man in the village. He then thought of her again telling him not to go in. But his stupidity drove him right through the door. This time no one left. They gathered around the card table. Then he noticed he could not cheat because everyone was watching.
They started the game. It had been only five minutes and he only had three cards in his hand. He tried everything he could but his opponent still took his cards. Then he put his last card on the board which was an eight of diamonds. Little did he know that his opponent had the nine of Hearts. He lost. The villagers tied him up in his chair with rocks tied onto his chair. That night they threw in into the lake. As for his wife, she was remarried to he wealthiest man in the village and lived happily ever after. No one ever cheated in cards again.