Monday, September 27, 2021

The Bottle Imp

The Bottle Imp is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can read it online here or here or have it read to you at the bottom of this post. It begins,
There was a man of the Island of Hawaii, whom I shall call Keawe; for the truth is, he still lives, and his name must be kept secret; but the place of his birth was not far from Honaunau, where the bones of Keawe the Great lie hidden in a cave. This man was poor, brave, and active; he could read and write like a schoolmaster; he was a first-rate mariner besides, sailed for some time in the island steamers, and steered a whaleboat on the Hamakua coast. At length it came in Keawe's mind to have a sight of the great world and foreign cities, and he shipped on a vessel bound to San Francisco.

This is a fine town, with a fine harbour, and rich people uncountable; and in particular, there is one hill which is covered with palaces. Upon this hill Keawe was one day taking a walk with his pocket full of money, viewing the great houses upon either hand with pleasure. "What fine houses these are!" he was thinking, "and how happy must those people be who dwell in them, and take no care for the morrow!" The thought was in his mind when he came abreast of a house that was smaller than some others, but all finished and beautified like a toy; the steps of that house shone like silver, and the borders of the garden bloomed like garlands, and the windows were bright like diamonds; and Keawe stopped and wondered at the excellence of all he saw. So stopping, he was aware of a man that looked forth upon him through a window so clear that Keawe could see him as you see a fish in a pool upon the reef. The man was elderly, with a bald head and a black beard; and his face was heavy with sorrow, and he bitterly sighed. And the truth of it is, that as Keawe looked in upon the man, and the man looked out upon Keawe, each envied the other.
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18 comments:

  1. Interesting tale ... thanks for sharing.

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  2. ...Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote in the Saranac Lake area of the Adirondack Mountains.

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  3. I'm intrigued -- I have heard of the story, but not sure I have read it. It's fascinating to think of RLS in the wide Pacific, seeing the places I've seen as a tourist.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. It's odd to be introduced to stories by authors you only know through a couple of works.

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  4. I didn't know he wrote short stories. This one sounds good.

    FYI: movie: Voice from the Stone (2017) - Good, moody movie. It has hints of dark overtones, and moves along slowly, but methodically. I thought it was well done. (It might not be everyone's type of "horror" movie, but I liked it, and I think you might, also.)

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    1. I'll look for Voice from the Stone. It's on Tubi so will be easy to watch. Thanks!

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  5. Excellent story. A combination of O Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and Jacobs "The Monkey's Paw"

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  6. I'm going to listen to this later tonight. I am going to try to multitask and hope I don't halfass task.

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    1. I can't multitask lol I think that's why I have trouble with audio books.

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  7. This sounds, good, I've added it to my list! Thanks! Valerie

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  8. I only knew of his novels. He must like islands!

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    1. It'd be fun to read a biography that talked about the settings of his work.

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  9. Thanks for sharing this.

    All the best Jan

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