In D. H. Lawrence's short story "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the gardener, Bassett, keeps Paul's winnings safely stored for him. Paul keeps twenty pounds "in reserve." However, Paul eventually also gives some of the money he wins to his mother. He arranges with his uncle Oscar to do this indirectly and anonymously, as he says that he is afraid his mother will stop him from gambling if she finds out how he obtained the money. Oscar, who knows her better, doubts this, but he goes along with Paul's wishes.

Oscar deposits the sum of five thousand pounds with the family lawyer, with instructions for him to tell Paul's mother that this is a gift from a relative, who has asked him to pay her an income of one thousand pounds a year for the next five years.

When "The Rocking-Horse Winner" was first published in 1926, one thousand pounds a year was a good income for a family in the upper middle class. Paul therefore hopes that this will be more than enough for his mother to live a comfortable life and will solve all her financial problems, at least for the next five years. However, as soon as the lawyer tells Paul's mother about the five thousand pounds, instead of being overjoyed that her troubles are over, she asks if she can have the entire sum at once, as she has so many debts to pay.