Free Audio: "The Rocking-Horse Winner," DH Lawrence

You can now have your students be able to read and listen to D.H. Lawrence's "The Rock-Horse Winner." The free Audio - Text version, can be found here.

PLOT SUMMARY:

"The Rocking-Horse Winner" describes a young middle-class Englishwoman who "had no luck". Though outwardly successful, the family's lifestyle exceeds its income (sound familiar in today's economy?), and an unspoken anxiety about money permeates the household that her children, especially her son, Paul, sense acutely.

The rocking-horse magically gives Paul advance knowledge of the winners of important horse races. Paul's uncle and friends place large bets on the horses Paul names. After winning several times, they arrange to give the mother a gift of five thousand pounds. Unfortunately, the gift only lets her spend more. Disappointed, Paul tries harder than ever to be lucky, and we learn that his secret is to ride his rocking-horse until he "knows." You have to read the rest to find out how it ends.