it was almost 5:00 so I thought I'd buy a beer and go out and sit by the swimming pool and enjoy the evening Sun I went to the bar got a beer and took it outside wandering into the garden it was a beautiful garden and there were lots of chairs around the pool there were white tables big colorful umbrellas and sunburned men and women sitting around in bathing suits in the pool itself there were three or four girls and about 10 boys all splashing and making a lot of noise and throwing a large rubber ball
at one another I stood there watching them the girls were English and staying at the hotel I didn't know about the boys but they sounded American I thought they were probably young Sailors from the American ship which had arrived in Harbor that morning morning I walked over and sat under a purple umbrella with three empty seeds I poured my beer lit a cigarette and sat back comfortably it was nice to sit and watch the people splashing around in the green water the American Sailors were getting on nicely with the English girls they were now diving
under the water and pulling the girls up by their legs just then I saw a small old man walking quickly around the edge of the pool he was beautifully dressed in a cream colored suit and a white hat and as he walked he was looking at the people and the chairs he stopped beside me and smiled I smiled back excuse me please but may I sit here certainly go ahead I said he checked the back of the chair for safety then sat down and crossed his legs a fine evening he said they are all fine
evenings here in Germany I couldn't tell if his accent was Italian or Spanish but I was sure he was from somewhere in North America he was old too when you looked at him closely probably about 69 or 70 yes it's wonderful here isn't it I said and who are all these these are not Hotel people he said pointing at the swimmers in the pool I think they're American Sailors I said to him of course most they are Americans who else in the world would make that much noise you are not American are you no I'm
not I said suddenly one of the young Sailors was standing in front of us he was still wet from the pool and one of the English girls was standing there with him are these chairs free he asked yes I replied mind if I sit down go ahead thanks he said he had a towel in his hand and when he sat down he unrolled it and took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter he offered a cigarette to the girl but she refused then he offered one to me and I took it the old man
said thank you no but I think I will have a cigar he took a cigar out of his pocket then took out a knife and cut the end off it here let me give you a light the American boy said holding up his lighter that won't work in this wind sure it will it always works the old man took the cigar out of his mouth moved his head to one side and looked at the boy always the boy said slowly sure it it never fails not with me anyway well well so you say this famous
lighter never fails is that what you're saying sure that's right the boy said he was about 19 or 20 with white skin and a sharp nose he was holding the lighter in his hand ready to turn the Little Wheel he said I promise you it never fails one moment please the hand that held the cigar came up high as if it were stopping traffic the old man kept looking at the boy he smiled and said shall we make a little bet on whether your lighter will light sure I'll bet why not the boy said you
like to bet sure I always bet the man paused and looked at his cigar I must say I didn't like the way he was acting it seemed like he was trying to embarrass the boy and at the same time I had the feeling he was enjoying some private little secret he looked up at the boy again and said slowly I like to bet too why don't we have a bet on this a big bet now wait a minute I can't can't do that but I'll bet you a dollar I'll even bet you 10 or whatever
the money is over here the boy said the old man waved his hand again listen to me let's have some fun we make a bet then we go up to my room here in the hotel where there's no wind and I bet you can't light this famous lighter of yours 10 times in a row without missing once I will bet I can the boy said all right good we make a bet yes sure I'll bet you $10 no no I am a rich man and a sporting Man Too listen to me outside the hotel is
my car it's a very fine car an Italian car Ferrari now wait a minute I can't offer you anything like that this is crazy the boy leaned back and laughed it's not crazy at all you light the lighter successfully 10 times and the Ferrari is yours you'd like to have this Ferrari yes sure I'd like to have a Ferrari the boy was still smiling all right fine we make a bet and I offer my Ferrari what do I offer the old man said I never ask you my friend to bet something you cannot afford you
understand so what do I bet I'll make it easy for you yes okay you make it easy some small thing you can afford to give away and if you lost it you wouldn't feel too bad right like what like perhaps the little finger on your left hand my what the boy stopped smiling yes why not you win you take the car you lose I take the finger I don't understand how do you mean you take the finger I chop it off that's crazy I I think I'll just bet $10 well well well I do not
understand you say it lights but you will not bet then we forget it yes the old man said the boy sat still staring at the swimmers in the pool then he remembered he hadn't lit his cigarette he put it between his lips open the lighter and turned the wheel it lit and burned with a small yellow flame and the way he held his hands meant that the wind didn't get to it at all could I have a light too I said God I'm sorry I forgot you had one he stood up and came over to
light my cigarette there was silence then and I could see that the old man had succeeded in disturbing the boy with his ridiculous suggestion the boy sat very still clearly tense then he began to move in his seat rubbing his chest and stroking the back of his neck at last he put both hands on his knees and began tapping his fingers against them soon he was tapping with one of his feet too now just let me check you say we go up to your room and if I make this lighter light 10 times in a
row I win a Ferrari if it misses just once then I lose the little finger of my left hand is that right he said at last certainly that is the bet but I think you are afraid what do we do if I lose do I have to hold my finger out while you chop it off oh no that would not be good and you might refuse to hold it out what I would do is tie one of your hands to the table before we start and I would stand there with a knife ready to chop
the moment your lighter misses how old is the Ferrari how old it's last years's quite a new car but I see you are not a bedding man Americans never are the boy paused for a moment and he looked first at the English girl than at me yes I'll bet you he said suddenly the old man clapped his hands together and said good we will do it now and you sir he turned to me you would perhaps be good enough to what do you call it to to referee well I think it's a crazy bet I
don't like it very much I said neither do I I think it's a stupid ridiculous bet said the English girl it was the first time she'd spoken are you serious about cutting off this boy's finger if he loses I said certainly I am also about giving him my Ferrari if he wins come now we will go to my room would you like to put on some clothes for first he said to the boy no I'll come like this the boy answered then he turned to me and said I would consider it a favor if you'd
come along as a referee all right I'll come along but I don't like the bet I said you come too you come and watch he said to the girl the old man led the way back through the garden to the hotel he was excited now and that seemed to make him walk with more energy would you like to see the car first it's just here he took us to a red Ferrari there it is the red one you like that's a nice car the boy said all right now we will go up and see if
you can win her we all went up the stairs and into a large Pleasant double bedroom there was a woman's dress lying across the bottom of one of the beds first let's have a little drink he said the drinks were on a small table in the far corner all ready to be poured with ice and plenty of glasses he began to pour the drinks and then he rang the bell a little later there was a knock at the door and a maid came in ah he said putting down the bottle and giving her a pound
note you will do something for me now please we are going to play a little game in here and I want you to go off and find for me too no three things I want some Nails I want a hammer and I want a big knife a butcher's knife which you can borrow from the kitchen you can get these yes a butcher's knife you mean a real butcher's knife the maid was surprised yes of course come on now please you can find those things surely for me yes sir I'll try I'll try to get them
she said and then she left the old man gave us our drinks we stood there drinking the boy the English girl who watched The Boy Over the Top top of her glass all the time the little old man with the colorless eyes standing there in his elegant cream colored suit drinking and looking at the girl I didn't know what to think about it all the man seemed serious about the BET and he seemed serious about cutting off the finger but what would we do if the boy lost then we'd have to rush him to the
hospital in the Ferrari that he hadn't won it would all be a stupid unnecessary thing in my opinion the old man said before we begin I'll give the key of the car to the referee he took the key from his pocket and gave it to me the papers and the insurance are in the pocket of the car he said the then the maid came in again in one hand she carried a butcher's knife and in the other a hammer and a Bag of Nails good you got them all thank you thank you now you can
go he waited until she had left then he put the items on one of the beds and said now we will prepare ourselves yes the old man moved the little hotel right wrting desk away from the wall and took off the writing things he picked up a chair and put it beside the table he got the nails and and began to hammer them into the top of the table we stood there the boy the girl and I watching the man work he hammered two Nails into the table about 13 cm apart leing a small part
of each nail to stick up then he tested them with his fingers to make sure they were firm anyone would think that he had done this before I told myself he never hesitated table Nails Hammer knife he knows exactly what he needs and how to arrange it all right at L we are ready will you please sit here at the table he said to The Boy The Boy sat down now put your left hand between these two Nails the nails are only so that I can tie your hand in place all right good now I
tie your hand securely to the table like that he tied the string around the boy's wrist then several times s around the wide part of the hand then he tied it tightly to the nails when he finished the boy couldn't pull his hand away but he could still move his fingers now please make a fist but leave the little finger sticking out lying on the table excellent excellent now we are ready with your right hand light the lighter but one moment please he hurried over to the bed and picked up the knife he came back
and Stood Beside the table with a knife in his hand are we ready Mr referee you must say when to begin he asked are you ready I asked the boy I'm ready and you I asked the old man quite ready he said and he lifted the knife up in the air about 50 cm above the boy's finger ready to cut the boy watched the knife but he didn't react and his mouth didn't move at all all right go ahead I said the boy said will you please count aloud the number of times I light it
yes I'll do that I said he lifted Ed the top of his lighter with his thumb then turned the wheel sharply with his thumb a small yellow flame appeared one I called he didn't blow the flame out instead he closed the top of the lighter and waited for about 5 seconds before opening it again he turned the wheel very strongly and once again there was a small flame two no one else said anything the boy kept his eyes on the lighter the man held the knife up in the air and he too was watching the
lighter three four five six seven obviously it was one of those lighters that worked I watched the thumb close the top down onto the flame then a pause then the thumb raised the top once more the thumb did everything I took a breath ready to say eight the thumb turned the wheel the little flame appeared eight I said and as I said it the door [Music] opened we all turned and saw a woman standing in the doorway a small blond-haired woman rather old who stood there for about 2 seconds before rushing forward shouting Mario Mario
she grabbed his wrist took the knife from him Threw It On The Bed grabbed the man by his jacket and began shaking him with great strength she talked to him quickly and loudly in Italian language she pulled the old man across the room and pushed him onto one of the beds I am sorry I am so terribly sorry that this happened the woman said she spoke almost perfect English she continued it is too bad I suppose it is really my fault for 10 minutes I left him alone to go and have my hair washed and
I come back and he is doing it again the boy was untying his hand from the table the English girl and I stood there and said nothing he is a danger to others where we live he has taken 48 fingers from different people and he has lost 12 cars in the end they threatened to put him away way somewhere that's why I brought him up here the woman said we were only having a little bet whispered the old man I suppose he bet you a car the woman said yes a Ferrari the boy answered he
has no car it's mine and that makes it worse he has bet you when he has nothing to bet with I am ashamed and very sorry about it all she said she seemed like a very nice woman well then here's the key to your car I said and I put it on the table we were only having a little bet whispered the old man again he doesn't have anything left to bet with he doesn't have a thing in the world not a thing in fact I myself won it all from him a long time ago
it was hard work but I won it all in the end the woman said I can see it now that hand of hers it had only one finger and a thumb
