The following morning, Doctor Koala was seated at a table in the little shack at the base of his tree where he received patients every day before noon. He was applying a salve to a bruise on the elbow of a female who had had a mild fall.
'That should make it feel better. Make sure you don't rub it off before it can take effect, Muffy.'
'Oh, I'll be careful, Doctor. I don't know how I didn't see that stone in the path. I was hurrying to get some cloth over to my tree so I could start to cut out the pattern for a new pair of overalls that somebody ordered, and I, well, I guess I just wasn't looking where I was walking, and then my foot hit that rock, and…'
'Yeah, yeah, you told me already,' Doctor Koala interrupted her. 'Just be more careful the next time. Oh, Muffy, before you go, let me ask you something.'
'What is it?'
'If I were to ask you to pick a really lucky number, what would you say?'
'Why, I think I'd say 192.'
'192? Now that's a strange number. Why in the world would you choose 192?'
'Well, it's kind of private…'
'Listen, I'm your physician, you can tell me,' Doctor Koala tried to persuade her.
'Okay, today it's been exactly 192 days since I first met Hatchy, you see. Oh, not that's it's anything really serious, we take a walk together occasionally, that's about all. He's such a gentlekoala, so polite and considerate. And brave! Imagine, going up to that forest every day to look for bee hives to get the honey! Why, they could all sting him and kill him some day!'
'Don't worry about that. Whenever I see him going up there, he always has his special suit with him, with that hood and the netted face mask. After that one time when two bees stung him in the nose and it swelled up like a balloon, I think he learned his lesson,' Doctor Koala laughed. 'He won't be getting close to bees anymore without protection.'
'Oh, I guess you're right. Doctor Koala, you've known him longer than I have. Do you think he'll ever seriously think about settling down, maybe starting a family…'
'Well, Muffy,' the Doctor replied with a smile, 'that's up to him, of course, but I will tell you one thing.'
'What's that?'
Doctor Koala leaned a little closer to her, his tone of voice becoming a bit softer. 'If I'm the keen observer I think I am, then I can tell you that if he ever does want to get married, it would be you whom he'll ask.'
'Oh, my! Do you really think so? But where did you get that idea, did he tell you himself?'
'Enough questions about that! Let's just say a doctor hears things others don't, that's all. Oh, about that number, 192. What I need is a number between 1 and 49. 192 is too high.'
'Oh, well then, how about…' Muffy paused, counting on the fingers of both hands, '12. Yes, 12 is a good number.'
'And why 12?' Doctor Koala queried.
'Oh, well, if I start with 192, then 1 plus 9 plus 2 equals 12.'
'I see. Okay, 12 it is! Thank you, Muffy. And check back with me if that elbow is still sore in three or four days.'
'Fine, Doctor. And thank you so much. Bye!' called Muffy as she walked away and headed for her tree.
'Let's see…' the medicine koala muttered as he studied a piece of paper in front of him, 'I've asked eleven koalas this morning, but only two of the numbers have repeated… 33 and 2. I wonder what Grandaddy and Sticky have come up with?'
Glancing out the window at the sundial on the ground some yards away from his tree, he thought to himself, 'I guess it's time to visit Claire and see if those liver pains of hers have subsided. Mmmm... She was always quite intuitive. Maybe she will be able to pick a few good numbers.'
***
Walking slowly down the main path in the middle of Koalaville, Judge Grandaddy spotted his friend Sticky crossing the trail ahead of him.
'Sticky! Any luck with the numbers?'
'Oh, hi, Grandaddy. Well, I have quite a list here already,' Sticky said as he reached into the side pocket of his blue overalls and pulled out a piece of carefully folded white paper.
'The only thing is, not many koalas came up with the same numbers, so it doesn't seem as if there is any general consensus about which ones might win.'
'Yeah, tell me about it,' the Judge replied, sounding somewhat frustrated. 'I've been having the same problem. Every koala gives me a number, or even several, but only a few of them are repeated by other koalas, and so few that it looks like it's coincidence.'
'You would think that we would be able to 'feel' the right numbers, wouldn't you?'
Sticky conjectured. 'After all, winning this game would be a fine thing for our grove, so wouldn't you think that we would be able to sense which numbers will be lucky? After all, there are only forty-nine of them in all.'
'True, but Mr. Johnson told me that considering the fact that we must choose six numbers out of those forty-nine, there are almost fourteen million combinations in all.'
'My, that does sound like a lot, doesn't it? But no matter; that's what luck is all about, and I just have the feeling that it is coming our way.'
'Oh, you are optimistic today!' Grandaddy laughed. 'But then, maybe optimism is what we need. The truth is, it doesn't matter much to me. After all, what do we need so much human money for? We already have everything we need!'
'Maybe so. But I just have this feeling…' Sticky repeated.
'Well, it'll be fun one way or the other. Gives me the chance to strike up some conversation with a lot of koalas I haven't spoken with in months. As a matter of fact, there's another one. Sighbye, I believe his name his. Excuse me, Sticky. I'll see you later.'
'Bye Grandaddy. Stop by for some tea later in the afternoon, and we'll compare results.'
Sticky watched Grandaddy walk away, and then turned to his left, strolling over to the edge of the grove. Stopping at the westernmost tree, he looked over the field towards Eucalyptus Grove, a few hundred yards away. Perhaps Grandaddy didn't know what they would do with the money, assuming that they did indeed win – but Sticky certainly did.
Ever since he was a koala child, Sticky liked to come over to the western edge and rest his gaze on the lush, dark green splendour of Eucalyptus Grove. Somehow, the green there was deeper, more genuine, reassuringly promising. Whenever he had the chance to eat some leaves from that grove, he could truly taste the difference. What a waste! The grove of their dreams, yet it was off limits for koala habitation.
If they could only win that money, then Sticky would somehow contact that human who owns it, pay him whatever he asks, and Eucalyptus Grove would be theirs. All the koalas of Koalaville would move over there, establish their new homes in those lovely trees, feast on the most delicious leaves in Southern Koalaland, and only have to lift their arms and pick them in order to do so. Yes, that would be grand. And though everybody said it was highly unlikely that they would ever win, Sticky, for some inexplicable reason, had an inkling that it just might happen. After all, only six numbers separated them from the home of their dreams.
The only problem was, how could they come up with the numbers they needed? Though Sticky was no mathematician, even he could see that one in fourteen millions were not good odds.
***
Doctor Koala found Claire napping on a lowlying branch of her tree, but even before he got there, her little Chihuahua started yapping, piercing the air with its staccato bark.
'What the devil does she see in that creature, anyway?' he thought to himself as he walked up and said to the dog, in an effort to quiet it down, 'Calm down, boy! You should know me by now.'
'Oh, Doctor Koala! Here so soon?' Claire called down, having been woken by the Chihuahua. Claire was in the twilight of middle age, as attested by her white-streaked gray fur. She had put on a few too many pounds these last years, especially since the death of her mother, to whom she had had an exceptionally close relationship. Her lavender-colored overalls had side pockets that were outlined in a darker shade of purple; the single, larger breast pocket, perfectly centered in the bib of the garment, was decorated with a yellow stitched embroidery of her chihuahua, an embellishment she herself had added in her spare time.
'Why, I'm right on time, as a matter of fact. Wanted to ask you about those pains you were having.'
'They're much better now. I've been taking that potion you prepared for me, and that seemed to help.' She moved from the branch to the trunk of the tree and climbed down to the ground. 'Have a seat, Doc. Should I make us some tea?'
'No, I can't stay long today. Just wanted to check that… Hey, what's that?' Doctor Koala interrupted his own thought upon noticing a little bottle next to the trunk of the tree. Claire quickly reached over, picked it up and put it behind her.
'Oh, that's nothing. Just a water bottle,' she explained.
'Let me see it,' said the Doctor firmly.
'Why, it's just for water, I tell you. What's the big deal?'
'Claire, give me that bottle right now!' he insisted, raising his voice a bit.
'Oh…. okay, here,' she moaned as she handed it to him. Doctor Koala smelled the rim of the bottle. 'Water, huh? This had eucalyptus liquor in it. You've been drinking again!'
'Well, I… you know, I just need it at times,' Claire stammered.
'And then you wonder why you have liver pains? I've warned you again and again to lay off that stuff. You're going to ruin your health even more if you keep that up!' he scolded.
Then, in a softer, more compassionate tone, he went on. 'Claire, don't you see what you're doing to yourself? I'll be honest with you. You've aged more in these past two years than in the five years before that, and if you don't stop drinking, you'll end up in an early grave. Is that really what you want?'
'I know, I know…' Claire groaned in despair. 'But ever since mom passed away in the last wet tail epidemic three years ago, I just haven't been able to cope. So many died back then! I don't have any close relatives here anymore. They're all dead. Oh, Doctor Koala, I don't see any reason to go on…'
'Don't you dare talk like that, I forbid it! Claire, you're a very special koala. You've helped so many around here with that special gift of yours. It's rare that someone can get glimpses into the future, as you can, and see so many things that other koalas can't. Why, I know many here in the grove who cherish the advice you give them more than anybody else's.
That should be what you focus on. Look towards your own future, and dedicate yourself to helping others. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Do you think you are the only one who lost loved ones in that epidemic?'
'Oh, Doctor, I know you're right. I've wanted to stop drinking so many times now. But I never seem to be able to,' Claire said, the tears welling up in her soft brown eyes.
'It's not just a question of health. You know eucalyptus liquor is against the law in Koalaville. Do you want to legal have problems? I'll bet that Bumpy and Humpy have been smuggling it in from Koalatown for you. Or was it Warooey and Usotsky?'
'Well, I promised I wouldn't say anything, you understand…'
'Yeah, I understand,' said Doctor Koala sarcastically, 'protecting the ones who are helping you ruin your life. I won't try to pry it out of you, but I will see to it that Judge Grandaddy gives Handy permission to check up on those lowlifes. I can't prove it, but I know for a fact that those four koalas make regular visits to Koalatown, and they don't do it to admire the scenery. They've been smuggling that liquor in here for some time now, I'd bet on it. Oh, by the way, speaking of betting…' Doctor Koala changed the subject, remembering the lottery. 'There's this game we want to play, and I thought that, well, considering your abilities, you might have some intuition about the numbers we need,' he went on to explain their plan to play the lottery.
'Well, Doctor Koala, I'd love to help you, but I'm afraid it doesn't work that way.'
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'You see, when I am with somebody, I often get these visions in my mind, things related to that particular koala, or to a situation. But numbers are so abstract, I wouldn't pick up anything. Of course, I could give you my favorite number: 7. I don't know if that will do you any good though…' Claire said apologetically.
'Oh well, I thought it'd be worth a try. I'll write that down. Another vote for 7. That's the second one today. Oh, yes, and about that liquor. I'm going to think about it, about what we can do to help you. And I'd like to stress the 'we', because if you don't want to help yourself, nobody else can help you, either. Do you understand that, Claire?'
'Yes, I suppose I do, Doctor. I wish I weren't such a disappointment for you,' she said sadly, lowering her furry head in embarrassment.
'Oh, nonsense! You've got an illness, that's all,' Doctor Koala said, trying to lift her spirits, '...and since I'm a physician, it's my job to figure out what we should do. I'll give it some thought, and drop by here tomorrow, same time. Will that be all right with you?'
'Why, yes it will, Doctor, and I thank you so much for your concern!'
'Claire, we've know each other since we were children. That's a bond that can never be severed. You'll always have a friend in me.'
'Oh, thank you so much, Doc!' Claire said, almost crying when she heard his kind, reassuring words.
'But as far as those other 'friends' of yours are concerned – Bumpy, Humpy, Warooey, Usotsky, or whoever it was who brought you that liquor – you stay away from them, do you hear me?' he admonished her.
'Okay, I will,' Claire promised.
'All right, Claire, I'll see you tomorrow, then. And don't forget to take some drops of that potion throughout the day.
'I won't forget, Doctor. Thank you so much! Good-bye!'
'Bye, Claire. See you tomorrow.' Doctor Koala walked away, reaching up to wipe a small tear from the corner of his left eye. He really cared for Claire. He had known her for so long, and knew that she was very sensitive. No wonder she had trouble coping at times. But he had seldom known a koala who cared so much about others. Claire was always willing to give advice to those who needed it, and her extraordinary perceptive powers allowed her to pick up things about others that no one else could see. Yet when her old mother died so miserably in that last epidemic, her spirit seemed to break, and now, for more than two years, she had been trying to drown her sorrows with that eucalyptus liquor. Of course she had liver problems; you can't drink such quantities of that stuff and go unpunished.
But he would think of a way to help her. Meanwhile, he was going to see to it that the mangy koalas who brought her the stuff were found and duly punished. He was sure that his friend the Judge would agree wholeheartedly.
***
That evening, Doctor Koala, Judge Grandaddy and Sticky were sitting at the base of a tree, carefully studying the numbers on the papers they were holding.
'Let's see,' Grandaddy glanced down his list, 'three koalas chose the number 33. That could be a good sign. I also have three votes for 9, but no other number occurs more than twice on my list.'
'I have four votes for the number 5,' added Sticky. 'Do you think that's significant? Maybe 5 should be one of the numbers we play.'
'Oh, I wouldn't put too much faith in that,' answered Doctor Koala. 'They probably said 5 just because everyone has five fingers on his hand. Oh, but wait… I have three votes for 5. Who knows, maybe we should play it. And you, Grandaddy?'
'I have two votes for 5. Should that be one of the numbers we play, then?'
'Might as well be,' replied Doctor Koala, 'since it looks to me as if this whole thing will end up being a guessing game anyway. Not a single koala seemed to intuit anything special. Not even Claire, and if she can't peek into the future, nobody can.'
'True,' said Grandaddy, 'if Claire didn't pick up any vibes, it doesn't seem as if our chances of getting those numbers are very great. And the truth is, I'm getting tired of writing down numbers and studying them. Why don't we just pick out some that seem good to us, and decide to play them?'
'No objection to that. I'm pretty bored with this myself,' Sticky remarked.
'That makes three of us,' Doctor Koala agreed. 'So, let's say 5 will be one number…. 33 another…'
'...and then 9, and how about 21?' Grandaddy asked.
'Okay, 5, 33, 9, 21,' Sticky jotted down, '…and we'll add 3 and 27. Sound good to you two?'
'Fine, whatever,' Grandaddy said.
'Okay then, we've got them,' Doctor Koala concluded. '5, 33, 9, 21, 3 and 27. Six numbers. Mission accomplished.'
'As long as they win,' Sticky said.
'Only time will tell that. And now, the best part of the day: time to get some sleep!' Grandaddy said with a yawn.
'All right then,' Sticky responded, 'I'll keep these numbers till Mr. Johnson comes on Friday, and we'll play them. Oooohhh,' he too yawned, 'I'm pretty tired myself. I'm off to my tree. I'll see you two tomorrow.'
'Bye, Sticky!' the Judge and Doctor Koala called.
'Well then, get some 'koalaty' rest, Grandaddy.'
'I surely will, Doc. And you sleep well, too,' Grandaddy answered.
With that, each of them walked off to his tree. They had had a very active day, and now wanted nothing more than to drift off into Dreamland.