Early on the morning of June 27th, villagers gather in the square to participate in the annual lottery conducted by Mr.Summers. Children are the first to show up and they run about collecting stones, placing them in piles until their parents arrive and call them. Families stand together and Mr.Summers begins to carry out the lottery. One woman, Tessie Hutchinson, arrives late but makes it in time before each man, one from every family, must draw one slip of paper from the black box. Bill Hutchinson draws the marked paper and his wife begins to protest that the lottery wasn't conducted fairly. Each member of the family then draws a paper. Mrs. Hutchinson draws the marked paper this time and begins to protest. But why? A lottery is supposed to give the winner a prize, right?

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