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He approached one of the officials who was walking about • Do you think
with a notepad in his hands. ‘I wished to participate in the Lawrence made a Just a Minute!
100-metre swim, Sir,’ said Lawrence sounding desperate. mistake by not telling the
official the truth?
‘Then you are one year too early,’ replied the official • Do you think he would be

rudely. given another chance?

‘This year’s race just got over.’

Lawrence still tried to convince the official. ‘Could you please give me a chance, Sir,’ he
said. ‘I was delayed due to unavoidable circumstances.’

The official was unmoved. ‘If you can’t maintain the simple discipline of coming on
time for the competition, how can we expect you to be a disciplined representative of the
district? We need sportsmen who are dedicated and sincere. Now, don’t waste my time, I
have plenty of other work to do.’

Lawrence walked back home dejected. He had lost the chance and now he would have to

wait for another year to try for the team trials.

‘What happened?’ asked his mother, seeing his sad face when he reached home.

‘Nothing,’ answered Lawrence, and sensing that his mother would ask some more
questions, he ran out to do the only other thing which he knew well—fishing.

By the next day, Lawrence had more or less forgotten his disappointment at missing the
swimming trials and had decided to get on with life as usual. He mended his nets in the
morning and prepared to go deep into the sea to fish.

He was surprised to see a well-dressed man walk to his house. ‘Do you know where
Lawrence lives?’ asked the man.

Lawrence introduced himself.

‘I am from the sports selection committee,’ continued the stranger. ‘We have decided to
give you another chance to try and qualify for the district swimming team.’

Lawrence could not believe his luck. This was beyond his wildest expectations. He
dropped the fishing net and took the stranger immediately to the competition pool.

Lawrence swam the entire stretch alone and the stranger and two of the other sports
committee members timed his progress. ‘You have taken much less time than all the other

competitors to swim 100 metres,’ they said, pleased with his effort. Now that he had
qualified, he began to wonder why they had decided to give him another chance.

He asked the stranger about it. ‘There was a woman who was telling us about how you had
dived into the sea to save her child, due to which you were
late to turn up for the competition,’ said the stranger. dejected: sad and without hope

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