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The Bet happened
Autumn evening at a party at the bankers estate there was an argument between the banker and a young attorney about whether imprisonment for life or the death penalty would be worse. -
Attorneys confinment began
The attorneys confinement began at a lodge in the bankers garden. He could only request things with a written order passes through a window. -
First Year
During the first year he suffered from loneliness and depression and played the piano continuously. He read light character books. -
Year Two
The piano was silent and he read classics. -
Year Five
Music was played again and he drank wine. He ate, drank, talked angerly to himself, wrote a lot and then tore up what he wrote. -
Second half of year six
Studied languages, philosophy and history. -
Next four years
Read 600 books in the next four years. sent a letter to the banker in six languages. He asked the banker to show it to people who spoke the languages and if they found no error the prisoner asked him to fire a shot in the garden. The prisoners desire was fulfilledand the banker fired two shots. -
after the tenth year
The prisoner read nothing but the Gospel. -
Next to the last day
Banker decided to kill the prisoner before the deadline because if he paid him two million dollars he would be broke. -
Last two years
The prisoner read a huge amount of books. -
3am
Banker went to the lodge and found the prisoner sleeping. There was a note that he had written. He despised freedom and all things called the good things in life. He had enjoyed many wonderful things in his captivity through books. He thought mankind had taken the wrong path when they traded heaven for earth and money didnt provide what was important. He renounced the two million dollars and he would leave the lodge five hours before the end of the bet. -
7am
Watch men told the banker the prisoner was seen leaving the lodge. The banker went to the lodge, took the paper the prisoner had written and locked it in the fireproof safe.