| The £ 1,000,000 bank note | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Mark Twain |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Short story |
| Publisher | Langenscheidt ELT |
| Publication date | 2007 |
| Pages | 96 |
| ISBN | 9783526521662 |
"The Million Pound Bank Note" is a short story by the American author Mark Twain.
The story takes place in Edwardian London, where two very rich, eccentric brothers, Oliver and Roderick Montpelier, give the penniless story protagonist, Henry Adams, one million pound money in form of a single peerless bank note. Henry would not be easily able to exchange that note in the bank without being questioned about how he had come to it, charged with theft and arrested. He would also not be able to spend it since no ordinary person would be able to change it. Without knowing, Henry is the subject of a bet: Oliver believes that the mere possession of this symbol of wealth will enable anyone to have anything he wants, without actually cashing the note. Roderick, on the other hand, feels that the prohibition against exchanging the note for cash will render it totally useless.
The 1954 film The Million Pound Note was based on this short story with Gregory Peck starring as Henry Adams.