[منى هلال]

Lottery Ticket

Once upon a time in a country that celebrated the humanity of its citizens,
there lived a man who had a habit of buying lottery tickets.
One day, this man bought the winning ticket,
with a grand prize worth ten million dollars.
After making their inquiries, the lottery officials found that the man was a shoe shiner.
They got worried that the shock might kill him;
so they appointed a psychologist to break the news to him, gently.
The doctor spent a few days going to this man’s shoe-shining shop,
and ultimately won his trust.
On the tenth day, the doctor asked the man:
do you usually buy lottery tickets?
The man answered: yes, sir I do..
The doctor: what would you do if you won the grand prize?
The man: Sir, I'd give you half of it!
The doctor: are you serious? Would you swear to this?
The man: yes sir I would;
and I would sign an affirmation to this effect here and now!
The man started writing: I, so and so, the shoe shiner,
hereby affirm that the doctor “what’s your name, sir?”
owns half the winnings of the lottery ticket that I have in my pocket.
Then he signed it.
The shock proved too much for the doctor,
and he fell unconscious!0

Translated by: Mona Helal

بطاقة يانصيب

في دَوْلَة ٍتَهْتَمّ ُبالإنسان ِ, فازَ أحدُهُمْ بالجائزَة ِالكُبْرى في اليانَصيبِ,
وَقيمتُها عَشْرَة ُملايينَ .
إسْتعلَموا فوَجدوا أنَّ الذي فازَبها يَعْمَلُ ماسِحَ أحذيَة ٍ, فَأَشْفقوا عليهِ
من هَوْلِ المفاجأة ِ, فانتدَبوا طَبيباً مخْتَصاً بعِلْم ِالنفْس ِحتى يوصِلَهُ
الخَبَرَ بطريقَة ٍلا تُؤْذيه ِ.
ذَهَبَ الطبيبُ إلى مكان ِعَملِهِ, وَوَقَفَ يَمْسَحُ حذاءَهُ, ثمَّ أعْطاهُ أجْراً
مُضاعَفاً, وفي اليوم ِالثاني جامَلَهُ بِكلِمَة ٍلطيفة ٍ,وَفي اليوم ِالثالثِ
أثْنى عَلى إتْقانِهِ العملَ ...وهكذا زادتِ الأُلُفة ُبينهُما.
في اليوم ِالعاشر ِسألهُ الطبيبُ:هلْ أنتَ في العادة ِتشْتري أوْراقَ يانصيب؟
أجابهُ: نعمْ يا سيدي.
ألطبيب :هَبْ أنكَ فُزْتَ بالجائزة ِالكبرى, ماذا ستفْعَلُ؟
......أعطيكَ نِصْفَهَا يا سيدي!
-- تُقْسِمُ على ذلك؟
...... وَأوَقِعُ لكَ صَكاً !وبدأ يكْتَُبُ (أنا فُلانٌ ماسحُ الأحذية ِأقرّ ُ
أن الطبيبَ "ما اسمكَ يا سيدي؟"يملكُ نصْفَ
ورقَة ِاليانصيبِ التي بِجَيبْي وَوَضَعَ توْقيعَهُ.
--عندها سَقَطَ الطبيبُ مغْشِياً عليهِ !

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