The Pearl

1

Kino lived in a modest brush house by the sea with Juana, his wife and Coyotito, his infant son. Across the brush fence were other brush houses. In Kino’s head there was a song, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak of it, he would have called it the Song of the Family.

Kino went outside to watch the dawn, while Juana prepared their simple breakfast, a hot corn-cake with sauce. In the company of a goat and a dog, Kino stared “with the detachment of God” at a group of industrious ants underfoot. Kino heard his wife routine activities. She was sang an ancient song when she nursed Coyotito. This was her habit, and Kino could see these things without looking at them. Her song was simple, and it moved Kino to contemplation.

They ate their simple breakfast, without conversation between them, only a contented sigh from Kino. Suddenly, Kino and Juana froze in their position. They saw a scorpion moved slowly down the rope towards Coyotito’s hanging box. Frightened, Juana recited an ancient magic to protect Coyotito, while Kino moves forward to catch the scorpion very slowly. Coyotito laughed and reached up his hands to grab it, then Coyotito shook the rope of the hanging box, and the scorpion fell and landed on the baby’s shoulder and stung him. Kino immediately had scorpion in fingers then threw it down and beat it into the earth floor with his fist, and at the same time Coyotito screamed with pain in his box.

Juana grabbed Coyotito, and she sucked hard the puncture with her lips and spat, for several times. The scream of the baby brought the neighbours, including Kino’s brother, Juan Tomás, and Juan Tomás’s wife, Apolonia. They knew that baby could easily die from the poison. Juana asked Kino to call the doctor, impossible. And she decided to take Coyotito to the doctor, their neighbors followed them.

Kino talked about the situation to the servant of the doctor who was the same race with him but refuse to talk in their old language. As they already estimated before, the doctor refused to cure the baby for free. They only had little pearls that were worthless for the doctor.  Angry, Kino struck the gate with his fist and the blood flowed down between his fingers.

2

The town lay on a broad estuary, its old yellow plastered building hugging the beach and a set of blue and white canoes sits in the sand. Kino and Juana came slowly down the beach to Kino’s old canoe. It’s the only precious thing he had and it was the heritage from his paternal grandfather.

Juana laid Coyotito on the blanket and covered him from the hot sun with her shawl. He was calm now,  but the swelling on his shoulder had continued up his neck and under his ear and his face was puffed and feverish. She then wades into the water and collects some seaweed, which she applies gently to Coyotito’s wound. They are going to search for big pearls, Juana had prayed that they might find such a pearl that valued enough to hire the doctor to treat the poisoned Coyotito.

Kino and Juana slid the canoe into the water, Juana climbs in, and Kino pushes the boat away from shore. Once Kino boards, they begin paddling out to sea in search of pearls. In a few moment Kino could see the other pearlers clustered the haze around the oyster bed. This was the bed that had raised the King of Spain to be a great power in Europe in past years, had helped to pay for his wars and had decorated the churches for them. Kino made a dive into the water to collect oysters, while Juana stayed in the canoe, prayed for luck. Kino could remained under water for over two minutes. He moved next to the hummock and he saw a very large oyster lying by itself, not covered with its clinging brothers.

Climbing back into the canoe, his eyes were shining with excitement and Juana sensed it but pretended to look away, because it’s not good to want a thing too much, might drove the luck away. Kino was reluctant to open the big one. But Juana could not wait, she asked him softly to open it while she put her hand on Coyotito’s head. Kino cuts the shell and there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon. It was as large as a seagull’s egg and it was the greatest pearl in the world. He picked the pearl from the dying flesh and held it in his palm and Juana came near to stare it. Then Juana went to Coyotito to see the swelling, it was going out of the baby’s shoulder, the poison was receding from its body. Kino, overcome with emotion, he screamed and his body was rigid. The men in the other canoes were curious and they raced towards Kino’s canoe.  

3

News goes so fast about “the Pearl of the World.”, even before Kino returns to his brush house. Like everyone else, the doctor who refused to cure Coyotito, desires the pearl too. Buyers in the town waited that pearl so one of them could get a new start of life. They didn’t realize that everyone were jealous with the fortune. Kino planed a proper marriage in the church, new clothing, a harpoon, and a rifle, and also school for Coyotito. But he a little bit afraid with his feeling.

Closed to the dark, the priest came. He spoke softly sound like a benediction.  He blessed the household then asked to see the pearl. He gasped and reminded him always thanking and praying. Juana announced the plans and the priest left them with a kind word. The evils song was in his ears after the priest left.

The neighbors slipped away to their houses, the doctor and his servant came to cure Coyotito’s wound. At first Kino refused it, but frightened with the bad effect, he allowed the doctor to examine the baby. And the doctor was right, he gave the baby a capsule and promised to come back in an hour to check on Coyotito’s progress.

Suddenly, Coyotito becomes visibly ill, an evil feeling fills Kino once again. Hurried, the doctor cured the baby. Coyotito sighed deeply and went to sleep. Then he asked for his payment. Kino explain about selling the pearl for the payment, the doctor pretended to be surprise about the pearl, but he offered to keep it in his safe and Kino declined the offer, the doctor knew where he kept it.

Kino was in fear. In a fit of precaution, he dug up the pearl and reburied it beneath his sleeping mat. Then he fall asleep, sweet dream at first, ended with the bad one. He sensed an evil, there were intruders.  He took his knife and struggled with the dark thing in the corner. The intruders escaped.

While Juana cured Kino, she asked Kino to throw the pearl, because it was a sin, an evil that would destroy them. But Kino hushed her and told her that the pearl was for their better and would be sold in the morning.

4

In La Paz, it was the day to sell the pearl. There was excitement among the pearl buyers, the one who bought the lowest price would be the happiest. The fishermen did not go out to dive for pearls, they wanted to be the witness of the transaction.

Over breakfast that morning, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito wore their best clothes for the occasion. From their house, the neighbours watched and dressed, ready too. Juan Tomás walked at the front with Kino and warned him about the cheating buyers. Kino acknowledged this problem but had no idea to solve it.

The first buyer said that the pearl is worthless, like fool’s god. The man made an offhand bid of one thousand pesos. Kino reacts angrily to this lowball offer and insists that the pearl is worth fifty thousand. Then he invited others buyers for others opinion. There were three buyers. Two of the buyers had the same opinion with the first one, and the last one made an offer for only five hundred pesos. Angry, Kino took the pearl and announced them to sell it in the capital. Worried, one of the buyers, offer fifteen thousand. Dead locked, Kino went home. 

There were pro and contra opinion among the situation. Meanwhile, in his brush house, Kino has buried the pearl under his sleeping mat and Juana watched it while he cleaned Coyotito and nursed him, later she made the corncakes for supper.. He was afraid of the capital

Juan Tomás came to warn him of the dangers in  the capital, but Kino insisted to sell it at capital for Coyotito’s better future. Unable to convince Kino to heed his warning, Juan Tomás went home.

Kino passed his supper. He sat awake to protect the pearl, suddenly, he sensed an evil presence. He moved toward the doorway, went out. There was a fight. Juana seized a stone to help him but it was over. Alone, Kino lay on the ground, struggling to rise. She helped Kino and cured him. Again, Juana asked to destroy the evil pearl or throw it back in the sea where it belongs. Kino rejected, he insist to keep the fortune and in the morning they will set out in the canoe for the capital. Juana dutifully submits to her husband’s plan, and they both go to sleep.

5

Before dawn, Kino opened his eyes in the darkness, but did not move. He saw Juana woke up  silently towards the fireplace then the door. And she was gone towards the shore. Kino followed her in silent. Getting caught, she run and prepared to throw the pearl, but Kino caught her arm and took the pearl from her. Angrily, he struck her in the face and he kicked her in the side, then he hissed her and left her without a word.

Toward the brush house, a group of men assaulted him. Struggling, Kino and the other man sprawled on the ground. Meanwhile, Juana got up and walked toward the brush house. Midway, she saw the pearl lying in the path then picked it up and considered to finish her job. But she saw two dark figures lying in the path and one of them was Kino. Kino has killed a man. She dragged the dead body into the brush and then helped Kino, who moaned about losing his pearl. Juana showed the pearl and asked him to escape because of the murder.

They prepared to escape, but the canoe was being broken. He went back to his house but his house was burning. The neighbours tried to control the fire and to save their own houses while Kino, Juana, and Coyotito toward into Juan Tomás’s house.

Inside Juan Tomás’s house, they listened to the speculation about their dead. Apolonia returned to her house to change her head shawls, and surprised to see them. Kino asked her to bring Juan Tomás to them and to be silent about them. Juan Tomás arrived moments later, and asked Apolonia to watch the door while he talked with Kino. Kino explained the story in detail.  He asked Juan Tomás to hide them in his house for a night, until it safe for them to go. Juan Tomás hesitated to bring danger upon himself but finally agreed to shelter them and keep silent about it.

They left quietly in the dark before the moon had risen. Kino planed to travel to north and Juan Tomás suggested just avoid the shore so that no one seen them.

6

The wind blew fierce and strong when they went into the north. They walked carefully and avoided the centre of town so that no one seen them. They walked hour after hour and made camp in a roadside shelter at sunrise. After eating a small breakfast, Juana rested until midday.

Juana asked if they being followed. Juana then started to doubt Kino’s conviction the pearl value, but Kino pointed out that his attackers would not have tried to steal the pearl were it worth nothing. Kino looked into the pearl to find his vision. He lied to Juana, about what he saw with the pearl, about a rifle, a marriage in a church, and an education for Coyotito. All he saw just a body bleeding on the ground, Juana making her way home through the night after being beaten, and Coyotito’s face swollen as though he were sick.

Kino slept soundly, while Juana was restless. Suddenly Kino awake and asked them to keep quiet. He crept forward and spots a trio of trackers pursuing their trail. The trackers grew nearer, and he was ready to attack them if necessary. The trackers scuttled along, stopping, looking and hurrying on and they would be back, Kino knew that.

Panic with the situation, they were frightened to be killed because of the pearl. Kino took them to the mountains. As they climb, Kino realized that was only a temporary fixed to their problem. Then Kino found a series of caves that they could not be seen from the outside. Kino made a fake tracks up the cliff and hoped that the trackers would follow the tracks and when they past them, they would climb down the hill and out of range. Kino instructs Juana to keep Coyotito quiet, and they lie silently in the cave as twilight settles over the land.

By evening, the trackers arrived at the pool, where they made camp and eat. In the cave, Coyotito grew restless, and Juana quieted him. Kino noticed that two of the men have settled in to sleep, while the third kept watch. Kino realized that if he could manage to stifle the lookout, they would have a chance to escape. Juana scared for Kino’s life, but Kino explained that they have no other choice. He instructed her to run to the nearest town should he be killed, and they part reluctantly.

Kino stripped naked to avoid being seen by the watchman, and, after a moment surveying his route, he moved forward and Juana prayed for him. He stopped a moment to ponder his next move, but he knew he must be quickly before the moon rises. He prepared his knife to attack. Just then, the moon appeared, and he realized that his opportunity was lost. Waiting for a moment when the watchman’s head is turned, Kino got ready to take a much riskier approach.

Suddenly, Coyotito cried and awoke one of the sleeping trackers. At first, they confused whether that’s a baby or the cry of a coyote. The watchman decided to silence the noise by directing the gun to the cave. The gun crashed, the bullet hit and killed Coyotito. As the watchman shot, Kino attacked the trackers, stabbing the watchman and seizing the rifle. He moved fast and brave. The third man scrabbled away like a crab and began to climb frantically. Kino became as cold and deadly as steel, so he raised the gun and aimed deliberately and fired. Gathered his consciousness, Kino noticed the silence of the surrounding and finally heard the hysterical cry from his wife, mourning the death of Coyotito.

Later the next day, it was late in the golden afternoon, when the first little boy ran hysterically into the town and spread the word that Kino and Juana were coming back. Everyone hurried to see them. Kino ahead, and Juana behind, as usual but side by side. Kino had a rifle, and Juana carried a heavy dead bundle over her shoulder. The shawl was crusted with dried blood. Their face was hard and lined and leathery with fatigue.

Juan Tomás raised his hands in greeting and did not say the greeting and left his hand in the air for a moment uncertainly. They kept move towards to the sea. When they came to the water’s edge they stopped and stared out over the Gulf. Then he pulled out the pearl from his pocket. The pearl was ugly, it was grey, like malignant growth. Then Kino flung the pearl with all his might. They saw the little splash in the distance, and they stood side by side watching the place for a long time.

CHARACTERS

Kino -  The protagonist character who is a Mexican-Indian man, dignified, hardworking, impoverished native who works as a pearl diver. He is a simple man who lives in a brush house with his wife, Juana, and their infant son, Coyotito. He loves them very much. After Kino finds a great pearl, he becomes increasingly ambitious and desperate in his mission to make a better future. His ambition brings him to a state of animalistic violence, and his life is reduced to a basic fight for survival and at the end he lost his baby.

Juana -  Kino’s wife. Her baby is being stung by a scorpion. Need a bunch of money to cure the baby, she prays for good fortune and a giant pearl is the answer. Juana slowly becomes convinced that the pearl is in fact an agent of evil. His husband being insult previous time and at the end she has to lose her baby.

Coyotito -  Kino and Juana’s only son, who is stung by a scorpion while resting in hanging box one morning. His parents doesn’t have enough money to pay the doctor. His parent’s efforts to cure him by owning a big pearl, ended with his death.

Juan Tomás -  Kino’s older brother. Deeply loyal to his family, he supports Kino with warns him several time related with the pearl.

Apolonia -  Juan Tomás’s wife and the mother of four children. Like her husband, Apolonia is sympathetic to Kino and Juana’s plight, and she agrees to give them shelter in their time of need.

The doctor -  A fat, arrogant, inhuman doctor that doesn’t want to cure coyotito. Ones he wants to cure the baby just to own the big pearl.

The priest -  The local village priest that just interested in exploiting Kino’s wealth as everyone else, hoping that he can find a way to persuade Kino to give him some of the money he will make from the pearl.

The dealers -  The extremely well-organized and corrupt pearl dealers in La Paz systematically cheat and exploit the Indian pearl divers who sell them their goods. They desperately long to cheat Kino out of his pearl.

The trackers -  The group of violent and corrupt men that follows Kino and Juana when they leave the village, hoping to waylay Kino and steal his pearl.

SETTING

The setting is in and around La Paz, Mexico. At the brush house, the beach, the mountain, the gulf.