2. Video Games
One day, after everyone had finished playing at Hili Hulu’s house, they each headed home. Ding Ding nudged Hili Hulu and said, “Come on, I’ll take you to a great place!”
Hili Hulu knew that the “great place” was the arcade.
He hesitated for a moment but decided to follow Ding Ding.
The entrance had a sign that read “No Students Allowed,” but the two well-dressed Miss Cats at the door seemed to forget about this rule and rushed to welcome them with meows of “Welcome! Welcome!”
Inside, it was indeed packed with students. It was Hili Hulu’s first time there, and he looked around in awe, “Wow, it’s so lively!”
Ding Ding said excitedly, “It’s not just lively; you can make money here too!”
He led the little pig to a row of colorful game machines and pointed as he explained, “Put a one-dollar coin into this little slot, and ten coins will come out. If you’re lucky, you might even get a hundred!”
Hili Hulu was shocked: Could this be true? He widened his eyes and watched.
A well-dressed monkey was enthusiastically putting one-dollar coins into the slot. He put in five coins, but then a loud “roar” sounded, and a tiger with a wide-open mouth appeared on the screen. The little pig was so scared he took two steps back. After a moment, he said, “Nothing came out!”
Ding Ding sneered, “He’s a fool! Watch me!”
Ding Ding squeezed in and dropped a one-dollar coin into the slot.
The machine played a pleasant tune, and a smiling cat girl appeared on the screen. Immediately, there was a “clatter, clatter” sound, and many one-dollar coins dropped into a tray. Ding Ding picked up the tray, laughing, “A hundred dollars!”
Hili Hulu was both surprised and delighted, “Is all that money yours?”
Ding Ding, happily stuffing the money into his pocket, said, “Of course!” Hili Hulu quickly took out a one-dollar coin from his pocket, ready to put it in the slot. Ding Ding stopped him, “No, wait!”
But Mr. Monkey didn’t wait; he put in another one-dollar coin. The tiger appeared again with a “roar,” and once more, no coins came out.
The little pig was sweating with fear. He wiped his forehead and said, “Good thing you stopped me, or my money would be gone!”
The little fox was very proud, “Listening to me was the right choice!”
He then pulled the little pig aside and whispered a secret, “Every machine is pre-programmed to swallow five thousand dollars and spit out one thousand. They think I don’t know! I saw this machine swallow a lot of money without spitting out any, so I put in a one-dollar coin! How about that?”
He patted his bulging pocket.
They hid and watched for a while longer, then Ding Ding led Hili Hulu to another machine and said, “Put it in!”
Hili Hulu dropped his one-dollar coin into the slot.
The machine played a pleasant tune, and a “clatter, clatter” sound followed as ten shiny coins dropped out!
The little fox laughed and patted the little pig’s head, “What are you waiting for? It’s your money, grab it!”
The little pig picked up the tray with shaking hands. His dad gave him one dollar a month as pocket money, and he had never had so much money before! Ah, he had struck it rich!
Ding Ding had often talked to Hili Hulu about the arcade, inviting him to play. But Hili Hulu’s parents had warned him not to go, and he had listened.
Today, he had just planned to take a look and leave, but now, the little pig didn’t want to go at all. The ten dollars in his pocket jingled like a dream, but this wasn’t a dream! Ding Ding had won a hundred dollars right before his eyes, putting in one dollar and getting out a hundred.
Wow! He wanted to get a hundred dollars too. If he brought a hundred dollars home to his mom, she would jump up and shout with joy, like a mouse biting her ear!
Sweating profusely, he started playing with the little fox.
The little pig patiently stood there, waiting for the right moment. He saw a machine swallowing money without spitting any out and thought the time was right, so he put in one dollar. But the tiger appeared with a “roar,” and his dollar vanished. It seemed the little fox’s trick wasn’t foolproof!
The little fox was much quicker than the little pig. By the time the little pig had only one dollar left in his pocket, the little fox was just standing there, dazed—he had no money left at all!
The little fox, with red eyes, reached into the little pig’s pocket, “Lend me a dollar, and I’ll pay you back two dollars later!”
Despite being down to his last dollar, the little pig hoped it might suddenly turn into a hundred dollars!
But he didn’t get even one dollar back.
The little fox was very unhappy, rubbing his hands together and saying to the little pig, “Go home and get some more money; you live close!”
It wasn’t really about “far” or “close”; the little fox knew he couldn’t get a penny from his dad.
The little pig was troubled, “I don’t know where our money is kept…”
The little fox couldn’t care less, “Under the mattress on the big bed! You have to crawl over the bed to the far corner!”
The little pig had never done such a thing. But now, like the little fox, his mind was filled with the thought, “This dollar might turn into a hundred dollars,” so he hurried home and stuffed all the money from under the mattress into his pocket.
Unfortunately, none of that money turned into a hundred dollars. Instead, the two once-rich friends were now penniless.
As they left the arcade, the little fox made a threatening gesture at the two pretty Miss Cats, shouting angrily, “I’m going to beat you up!”
The two Miss Cats just smiled and bowed, “Welcome back next time!”
In fact, the little fox had already calmed down, his eyes were no longer red, and he wasn’t sweating anymore. He said to the little pig, “Come play at my house!”
The little pig still thought, “If only I had left when I won ten dollars, I’d still be rich!” The little fox asked him again, “Want to come play at my house?” He shook his head, “Your dad won’t allow it!”
He thought, play? The mattress is bare, what will I do when dad comes back?
Ding Ding said, “My dad’s out on business today and having dinner with clients; he won’t be back until late! I have lots of great toys; you can play to your heart’s content!”
Hili Hulu, filled with worry, followed Ding Ding to the fox shopkeeper’s house.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
