"The Bet" is a short story by Anton Chekhov, first published in 1889. The story is about a wealthy banker who makes a bet with a young lawyer that the lawyer cannot voluntarily stay imprisoned for 15 years. The lawyer accepts the bet and spends the 15 years in a small room in the banker's garden, reading books and studying. On the day the 15 years are up, the banker is about to lose the bet and go bankrupt, but the lawyer leaves the room before the deadline, forfeiting the bet and giving up the chance to win a large sum of money. The story explores themes of the value of human life and the corrupting influence of money and power.