Every June twenty-seventh the villagers in the small town gather in the square for the annual "lottery". The children usually arrive first. They play and gather stones in preparation for the drawing. The husbands and fathers are the next to gather. They tell jokes, but "they smiled rather than laughed." The men do not seem to be as excited as the children are. When finally the women arrive, the families form into their respective groups and they wait for Mr. Summers--the lottery official--to commence the drawings. There are volunteers to hold "box" from which the "heads of the famil…
