Plot
Beatty Ward is a selfish girl who always wants her own way, and she never helps out or shows consideration for others. One day Beatty grumbles about there being no bingo for kids, but then she is surprised to receive a bingo card in the post – on a Sunday. It comes with the message: “A prize more precious than them all, if by full moon, full house you call.”
It makes no sense until Beatty brings home a football jersey with the number 3 on it and then the number 3 just vanishes from the card. Greed overtakes Beatty and she becomes determined to get all the other numbers on the card by the full moon to collect the riches that must surely be waiting for her.
But as Beatty goes about collecting numbers she finds herself helping others to get the numbers; in one instance she buys a doll for a girl in exchange for an old book with the number 10. She gets up early one morning to look for the last number left on the card, 65, but her mother thinks she is up early to make them breakfast and tells her how nice that is of her. Beatty makes the breakfast as she knows her mum is grateful of the help and then goes looking for the number.
She has no luck, and when she returns home she find the house on fire! She manages to rescue her parents though they end up in hospital. While waiting on news, Beatty realises she doesn’t want money, she just wants her parents to be okay. When she is allowed see her mom she doesn’t care that the room number is 65. A lot of people that she helped end up offering help to the Wards, like a place to stay while their house is repaired.
The number 65 does disappear from the bingo card and the message changes to: “The precious prize that you shall hold is not money, jewels or gold. Kindness and love in thought and deed will make you rich in the life you lead.” Beatty agrees with this new message and will keep the bingo card as a reminder.
Notes
- Artist: Tom Hurst
Appeared
- Beatty’s Bingo Card – Mandy: #1217 (12 May 1990) – #1228 (28 July 1990)
Be interesting to know how this one played out. And when it ended. Anyone got any information, please?
I don’t have any of these issues, if you don’t get an answer, I can check them out next time I’m at national library. That will probably be sometime in Summer, when I have more time.
Thank you.
I’ve added the ending to the post now.
I like how Beatty surprises herself – and us – in how she changes as she goes about looking for the numbers. It makes a change from the selfish protagonist changing from shock treatment, an ordeal, or something warning her that she must change – or else.