This story by Roald Dahl is about gambling, greed, appearances and ‘face’. A young man accepts what appears to be an easy bet. If he is successful, he will win an expensive car. If he loses, he must give up a small body part. Many reviews suggest that the English girl is not important to the story. I disagree. The young man was at first unhappy with the bet. If he was alone at the time, he could well have walked away. But this is not something a young sailor out to win a girl would do!
Original Text / PDF / Audio (4,050 words)
Video Versions
1979 TV Version: This episode from the Tales Of The Unexpected British television series includes a personal introduction by Roald Dahl and is closer to the original plot than the second film presented here. Watch and enjoy!
1960 TV Version: A version of the story from the original Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV Series, staring Academy Award winning actor Steve McQueen. Watch and enjoy!