FOOLING A CHINAMAN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2992, 27 January 1881, Page 3

FOOLING A CHINAMAN.

A plump little Celestial, whose nltnoud eyes twinkled with delight and an extraordinary grin lighting up his yellow countenance, dropped in to witness the lottery drawing the other day. He watched the blindfolded boys draw the numbers from the wheels with apparent interest and bore the jokes of the crowd around with evident good nature. "Say, John, you washee that man's shh-tee* ?" asked one of the crowd, pointing to one of the benevolent-looking commissioners. " I washee heapee plenty shirtee if I wince plize," replied the bland Mongolian. " Have you got a ticket, John ?" replied the man in the crowd. " Well, me thinkee me hahee," replied the Chinaman, drawing one from hi 3 pocket. " Tlickee win ?" he inquired. The man looked at the number, and, scanning his list, found that it had come in for a 500 dollar prize. " Well, John," replied the man in the crowd, very innocently, " I think you've lost." " Chinee man losee alle time," said the subject of the flowery empire ; " gotee no luckee. Grless tlow jjtlickee away." " You needn't do that, John," said the man, with a patronising air. " I'll give you a dime for it." "Dlime too lillee. Glimnie a dollar," said the Celestial. " A dollar's too much for a ticket that can't win. We'll split the difference and call it half a dollar, eh ?" said John's kind informant. " Chinee man glottee no luckee ; Melican man takee alle molonee. Takee the tickee and glimme flo'blttee," and John passed over his ticket in exchange for the money. When the Mongolian's grinning features had disappeared, the man chuckled and remarked that ho had " got her this time." "Let's see the ticket ?" asked one of his friends. The man who had made the lucky investment handed tho ticket over, when his friend exclaimed: " Why, Q-eorge, it was drawn last June ?" "Is that so ?" asked the man, dumbfounded, the revelation that had been duped dawning upon him. " Where is that lying rascal cf a heathen Chinee who put up this iobon me ?"

But the Chinaman could nowhei'e be found, and the man had to be satisfied with the experience that he had purchased with half a dollar.