KEAWE's BOTTLE

 

By Robert Louis Stevenson

 

    The sea-journey was a good one, but all the time Keawe was keeping in his breath, because he had given his word to himself that he would give voice to no more requests, and take no more from Satan. The time was up when they got back. The house-designer said that the house was ready, and Keawe and Lopaka took tickets in the Hall and went down Kona way to have a look at the house, and see if all had been done in harmony with the thought in Keawe's mind.
    Now the house was on the mountain-side where one might see it from a ship. Higher up, the thick wood went up into the clouds of rain ; under it the black stone had made sharp slopes down to the sea, and here was the resting-place of the old rulers. There was a garden about that house, in which were flowers of every colour ; and there were papaya trees on one side and breadfruit trees on the other, and straight in front, in the direction of the sea, a ship's high sail support had been put up with a flag on the top. As for the house, it was three floors high, with great rooms and wide terraces on every floor. the windows were of glass, of such good quality that it was as clear as water and as bright as day. There were tables, seats, cupboards, shelves, and every possible comfort in the rooms. There were pictures on the walls in gold frames ; pictures of ships and men fighting, of the most beautiful women, and of strange places ; nowhere are there pictures of so bright a colour as those Keawe saw hanging in his house. As for the ornaments, they were most beautiful ; clocks sounding the hours, and music-boxes, little men with shaking heads, books full of pictures, war instruments of great value from all sorts of strange countries, and playthings for the amusement of a man living by himself. And because no one would be happy living in such rooms, and would only be interested to go through and see them, the terraces were so wide that a town full of persons might have been quite happy living upon them ; and Keawe was not certain which gave him most pleasure, the terrace at the back, where you got the land wind, and were looking out over the fruit trees and the flowers, or the front terrace, where you took deep breaths of the wind off the sea, and, looking down the sharp wall of the mountain, were able to see the Hall going by about once a week between Hookena and the slopes of Pele, or the sailing-ships going up and down with wood and ava and fruit.
    when they had seen everything, Keawe and Lopaka took a seat by the door.
    "Well" said Lopaka, "it is all as you were picturing it to yourself ?"

    "There are no words for it," was Keawe's answer. "It is better than my picture, and I am overcome with the pleasure of it."
    "There is but one thing to give thought to," said Lopaka ; "all this may be quite natural, and the bottle-imp may have nothing whatever to do with it. If I took the bottle and got no sailing-ship after all, I would have put my hand in the fire for nothing. It is true that I gave you my word ; but isn't it natural for me to make a request to you for one more test ?"
    "I have given my word to myself that I will take no more from the bottle," said Keawe. "I have gone in deep enough."
    "This is not a request for anything more which I have in mind," was Lopaka's answer. "It is only to see the imp himself. There is no profit in that, and so no cause for shame ; but if once I saw him, I would be certain of the thing. So do this much for me, and let me see the imp ; and after that, here is the money in my hand, and I will give you the price."
    "There is only one thing I am in fear of," said Keawe. "The imp may be very disgusting-looking ; and if you once saw him, you might be even less ready to take the bottle."
    "I am a man of my word," said Lopaka. "And here is the money between us."
    "Very well," Keawe made answer. "I am interested to see what he is like myself. So come, let us have one look at you, Mr. Imp."
    Now, the minute that was said, the imp put his head out of the bottle and in again, quick as a snake ; and there were Keawe and Lopaka turned to stone. The night had gone before they had a thought to put into words or a voice with which to do so ;and then, pushing the money over, Lopaka took the bottle.
    "I am a man of my word," said he, "and have need to be so, or I would not give this bottle so much as a touch with my foot. Well, I will get my sailing-ship and some dollars for my pocket ; and then I'll be handing this imp on as quickly as I am able. Because, there is no doubt about it, the look of him has given me a great shock.
    "Lopaka," said Keawe, "do not have a bad opinion of me ; it is true that it is night, and the roads are rough, and the way by the resting-place of the kings is a bad place to go so late, but the fact is that after seeing that little face, I will not be able to have any sleep or any food, or to go down to my knees till it is far from me. I will give you a light, and a basket to put the bottle in, and any picture or ornament in all my house which is pleasing to you ; and go now, and take your sleep at Hookena with Nahinu."
    "Keawe," said Lopaka, "most men's feelings would be wounded by this behaviour ; specially when I am such a good friend as to keep my word and take the bottle ; and as for that, the night and the dark, and the way by the resting-place of the kings may be ten times more of a danger to a man who has done this great wrong, and has such a bottle under his arm. But for my part, I am in such fear myself, that I have not the heart to be angry. Here I go then ; and may you be happy in your house, and I do well with my sailing-ship, and may we be kept out of Satan's power in the end though we have been the owners of his bottle."