A man stood at a roulette table. Another man behind the table waited to take his bet.
The first man scanned the numbers. "What do I get if it lands on a three." The man behind the table said a lifetime of lust. The gambler thought a moment and asked, "What about number ten?" "A life filled with pride," was the reply. Then the gambler asked to see a menu of options, because he just couldn’t make up his mind.
The man behind the table passed the first gambler a laminated card with a menu describing in detail every number and its reward.
A second gambler stepped to the table and he, too, received a menu of options. "What’s this about number seven? I don’t understand what it says."
The man behind the table smiled and said, "Oh, that one stands alone. You see, you can pick any of the numbers – all of the numbers if you like – but that one stands alone."
"What is the prize," the second gambler asked.
"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control. . . holiness, righteousness, goodness, justice. . . whatsoever is pure. . ."
The first gambler snorted out a laugh, interrupting the man's explanation. "That doesn’t sound very fun. But you’re telling me I can choose all the rest?" The man behind the table nodded. "Okay, then, I want all of it. All of the number but that number seven."
"And you, sir?" The man behind the table asked gambler number two.
"Well, I don’t care much what other people think, so I don’t want that one. But I want money, lots of money. Give me that number. And I don’t like to be proven wrong, ever, so give me pride. And I like my women, so give me that number. I guess that should do it."
"You’re an idiot, mister," said the first gambler. "Why don’t you take all of them, except that number seven? Since you can, I mean. Why limit yourself so much?"
By then, a third gambler had stopped by the table for a quick look around. "What about you," the man behind the table said. "Oh, I don’t play the game, sir."
"Everybody plays the game, whether they make the bet here or somewhere else." The third gambler looked around at all the other tables. They all looked the same. "Pick a table, mister, the rules at every table are the same."
"Well, then, I might as well make my bet here as anywhere." He studied the laminated card for a minute, a look of disgust registering on his face. "Seven. Put it all on seven." Then he walked away from the table, as though he didn't even care how the game would turn out.
The man behind the table took the bet and turned to the roulette wheel. He gave it a spin. The two remaining gamblers watched with great interest, the first gambler as giddy as he could be, as though he had already won the game. The second gambler only showed interest when his pet numbers came around.
Finally, the wheel slowed for its final run. It passed each number. . . pride, lust, fear, gossip, greed, gluttony, fame, fortune, good opinion of others, anger, bitterness, revenge, disregard for others, success. . . and the wheel moved slower and slower as it closed in on the final number.
Horror registered on the two gamblers’ faces. "Seven, seven wins all," the man behind the table said. He looked up at the two men as he cleared the wheel of all earlier bets. "You had to know how it would end. It always ends the same."
"What about the guy who won? Where’s he?"
"Already off to collect the reward, sir. He knew how the game would end. Didn’t need to watch the wheel go around. He already knew."
The first man scanned the numbers. "What do I get if it lands on a three." The man behind the table said a lifetime of lust. The gambler thought a moment and asked, "What about number ten?" "A life filled with pride," was the reply. Then the gambler asked to see a menu of options, because he just couldn’t make up his mind.
The man behind the table passed the first gambler a laminated card with a menu describing in detail every number and its reward.
A second gambler stepped to the table and he, too, received a menu of options. "What’s this about number seven? I don’t understand what it says."
The man behind the table smiled and said, "Oh, that one stands alone. You see, you can pick any of the numbers – all of the numbers if you like – but that one stands alone."
"What is the prize," the second gambler asked.
"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control. . . holiness, righteousness, goodness, justice. . . whatsoever is pure. . ."
The first gambler snorted out a laugh, interrupting the man's explanation. "That doesn’t sound very fun. But you’re telling me I can choose all the rest?" The man behind the table nodded. "Okay, then, I want all of it. All of the number but that number seven."
"And you, sir?" The man behind the table asked gambler number two.
"Well, I don’t care much what other people think, so I don’t want that one. But I want money, lots of money. Give me that number. And I don’t like to be proven wrong, ever, so give me pride. And I like my women, so give me that number. I guess that should do it."
"You’re an idiot, mister," said the first gambler. "Why don’t you take all of them, except that number seven? Since you can, I mean. Why limit yourself so much?"
By then, a third gambler had stopped by the table for a quick look around. "What about you," the man behind the table said. "Oh, I don’t play the game, sir."
"Everybody plays the game, whether they make the bet here or somewhere else." The third gambler looked around at all the other tables. They all looked the same. "Pick a table, mister, the rules at every table are the same."
"Well, then, I might as well make my bet here as anywhere." He studied the laminated card for a minute, a look of disgust registering on his face. "Seven. Put it all on seven." Then he walked away from the table, as though he didn't even care how the game would turn out.
The man behind the table took the bet and turned to the roulette wheel. He gave it a spin. The two remaining gamblers watched with great interest, the first gambler as giddy as he could be, as though he had already won the game. The second gambler only showed interest when his pet numbers came around.
Finally, the wheel slowed for its final run. It passed each number. . . pride, lust, fear, gossip, greed, gluttony, fame, fortune, good opinion of others, anger, bitterness, revenge, disregard for others, success. . . and the wheel moved slower and slower as it closed in on the final number.
Horror registered on the two gamblers’ faces. "Seven, seven wins all," the man behind the table said. He looked up at the two men as he cleared the wheel of all earlier bets. "You had to know how it would end. It always ends the same."
"What about the guy who won? Where’s he?"
"Already off to collect the reward, sir. He knew how the game would end. Didn’t need to watch the wheel go around. He already knew."
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