The luck of the draw

'Please mummy, why don't you want me to play on that one?'

Molly pulled me over to the machine and stared through the glass at the coins, the teetering piles hanging over the abyss, the platforms pushing and pulling, tempting onlookers to try just one more coin, one more go...

'Molly, we've been through this my love' I repeat, slowly going through the explanation once more.

'Those machines they look like the piles of coins are going to fall, but they don't. Then you think just one more would do it, and before you know you have no money left.'

'But look mummy, that pile really is going to fall!'

'That's 2 zloty pieces, that's worth fifty euro cents! That's really a lot to put in in one go. When I was little we played with one and two pennies.'

'But mummy...' 

'Listen, how about we compromise. You decide how many coins you ae prepared to lose and once they're gone, they're gone. OK?'

'OK, two coins then.'

I was surprised by her restraint. 'Go on then, two coins.'

Molly rummaged in her wallet and pulled out her first two zloty coin. She waited for the right moment and slotted it into the machine. 

The coin fell just right, the machine pushed a couple of coins off the first platform and we waited for the next platform to move, holding our breath.

'Molly!' I gasped, as the second platform pushed the money towards us, toppling the pile of coins so that they all rushed down the shoot.

She leaned down to collect her winnings and came up grinning. 

'There's a lot mummy!' 

The kid only went and won 20 zloty on her first go.