SOMETHING IN IT
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Mr. John and His Special Promise
Mr. John lived on a sunny island. It was a warm place. Island folk told him of a strange house. They spoke of scary water. Mr. John listened to them. He thought they were wrong. He did not believe them. He said, "Nothing scary is there."
Mr. John went to the scary water. He wanted to swim. The sun was hot. The water moved fast. It pulled him. He floated to the strange house.
He went inside the house. It felt very strange. Then it was dark. A soft thing caught him. He could not move. He felt stuck.
Big hands picked him up. They took him away. He went to a warm, dark place. He saw big red fires. The fires glowed.
He saw a Spirit Mother. She had four Spirit Girls. He also saw a sad person. The sad person was there. He looked very sad.
The sad man saw Mr. John. He looked very cross. He said, "Your ideas were bad!" He said, "You are here too!"
The Spirit Girls made a strange drink. They sang a quiet song. It was a sad song. They sang it low. The sound was soft.
They offered Mr. John the strange drink. He wanted the drink. He wanted it so much. It looked good to him. But he thought of his special promise. His promise: 'No strange drinks!' He said, 'No.' The sad man looked at him. A Spirit Girl looked too. They asked, 'Why do you say no?' 'You said no rules for us!' Mr. John said, 'My promise is strong.' 'I must keep my word.' 'Other things feel wrong.' But his promise was true. Then the Chief Spirit came. He did not know Mr. John's promise. He looked very cross. He did not like it. He said, 'Send him back now!' Poof! Mr. John was back in the water. He was near the island. He was safe. He felt good. Mr. John swam to the beach. He thought, 'I learned new things.' 'My promise is very strong!' He rang the church bell. The bell rang loud.
Original Story
XVI.—SOMETHING IN IT.
The natives told him many tales. In particular, they warned him of the house of yellow reeds tied with black sinnet, how any one who touched it became instantly the prey of Akaänga, and was handed on to him by Miru the ruddy, and hocussed with the kava of the dead, and baked in the ovens and eaten by the eaters of the dead.
“There is nothing in it,” said the missionary.
There was a bay upon that island, a very fair bay to look upon; but, by the native saying, it was death to bathe there. “There is nothing in that,” said the missionary; and he came to the bay, and went swimming. Presently an eddy took him and bore him towards the reef. “Oho!” thought the missionary, “it seems there is something in it after all.” And he swam the harder, but the eddy carried him away. “I do not care about this eddy,” said the missionary; and even as he said it, he was aware of a house raised on piles above the sea; it was built of yellow reeds, one reed joined with another, and the whole bound with black sinnet; a ladder led to the door, and all about the house hung calabashes. He had never seen such a house, nor yet such calabashes; and the eddy set for the ladder. “This is singular,” said the missionary, “but there can be nothing in it.” And he laid hold of the ladder and went up. It was a fine house; but there was no man there; and when the missionary looked back he saw no island, only the heaving of the sea. “It is strange about the island,” said the missionary, “but who’s afraid? my stories are the true ones.” And he laid hold of a calabash, for he was one that loved curiosities. Now he had no sooner laid hand upon the calabash than that which he handled, and that which he saw and stood on, burst like a bubble and was gone; and night closed upon him, and the waters, and the meshes of the net; and he wallowed there like a fish.
“A body would think there was something in this,” said the missionary. “But if these tales are true, I wonder what about my tales!”
Now the flaming of Akaänga’s torch drew near in the night; and the misshapen hands groped in the meshes of the net; and they took the missionary between the finger and the thumb, and bore him dripping in the night and silence to the place of the ovens of Miru. And there was Miru, ruddy in the glow of the ovens; and there sat her four daughters, and made the kava of the dead; and there sat the comers out of the islands of the living, dripping and lamenting.
This was a dread place to reach for any of the sons of men. But of all who ever came there, the missionary was the most concerned; and, to make things worse, the person next him was a convert of his own.
“Aha,” said the convert, “so you are here like your neighbours? And how about all your stories?”
“It seems,” said the missionary, with bursting tears, “that there was nothing in them.”
By this the kava of the dead was ready, and the daughters of Miru began to intone in the old manner of singing. “Gone are the green islands and the bright sea, the sun and the moon and the forty million stars, and life and love and hope. Henceforth is no more, only to sit in the night and silence, and see your friends devoured; for life is a deceit, and the bandage is taken from your eyes.”
Now when the singing was done, one of the daughters came with the bowl. Desire of that kava rose in the missionary’s bosom; he lusted for it like a swimmer for the land, or a bridegroom for his bride; and he reached out his hand, and took the bowl, and would have drunk. And then he remembered, and put it back.
“Drink!” sang the daughter of Miru.
“There is no kava like the kava of the dead, and to drink of it once is the reward of living.”
“I thank you. It smells excellent,” said the missionary. “But I am a blue-ribbon man myself; and though I am aware there is a difference of opinion even in our own confession, I have always held kava to be excluded.”
“What!” cried the convert. “Are you going to respect a taboo at a time like this? And you were always so opposed to taboos when you were alive!”
“To other people’s,” said the missionary. “Never to my own.”
“But yours have all proved wrong,” said the convert.
“It looks like it,” said the missionary, “and I can’t help that. No reason why I should break my word.”
“I never heard the like of this!” cried the daughter of Miru. “Pray, what do you expect to gain?”
“That is not the point,” said the missionary. “I took this pledge for others, I am not going to break it for myself.”
The daughter of Miru was puzzled; she came and told her mother, and Miru was vexed; and they went and told Akaänga. “I don’t know what to do about this,” said Akaänga; and he came and reasoned with the missionary.
“But there *is* such a thing as right and wrong,” said the missionary; “and your ovens cannot alter that.”
“Give the kava to the rest,” said Akaänga to the daughters of Miru. “I must get rid of this sea-lawyer instantly, or worse will come of it.”
The next moment the missionary came up in the midst of the sea, and there before him were the palm trees of the island. He swam to the shore gladly, and landed. Much matter of thought was in that missionary’s mind.
“I seem to have been misinformed upon some points,” said he. “Perhaps there is not much in it, as I supposed; but there is something in it after all. Let me be glad of that.”
And he rang the bell for service.
MORAL.
The sticks break, the stones crumble, The eternal altars tilt and tumble, Sanctions and tales dislimn like mist About the amazed evangelist. He stands unshook from age to youth Upon one pin-point of the truth.
Moral of the Story
Even when all external beliefs and certainties crumble, holding fast to a single, deeply held personal truth or principle can provide salvation.
Characters
The Missionary ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, likely with a somewhat weathered appearance from his travels, but otherwise unremarkable in physical stature. His demeanor suggests a certain rigidity and self-assurance.
Attire: A practical, conservative suit typical of a 19th-century Protestant missionary, likely made of dark, durable wool or linen. It would consist of a dark jacket, trousers, a white shirt, and a simple tie, possibly a clerical collar. His clothes would be somewhat damp and disheveled after his ordeal in the sea.
Wants: To spread his own version of truth and dismiss what he perceives as 'superstition.' Later, his motivation shifts to upholding his personal vows and principles, even in the face of overwhelming evidence against his prior beliefs.
Flaw: Arrogance and an unshakeable belief in his own 'truth,' which blinds him to other realities. His dismissal of local knowledge nearly costs him his life.
He undergoes a profound transformation from a dogmatic skeptic who dismisses all local beliefs as 'nothing in it' to someone who acknowledges the existence of other truths, while still clinging to his core personal principles. He learns humility and the value of his own integrity.
Skeptical, dogmatic, self-assured, principled, surprisingly resilient.
Akaänga ⚔ antagonist
A powerful, possibly monstrous or misshapen entity. The story describes 'misshapen hands groped in the meshes of the net,' suggesting a non-human, perhaps grotesque, form. His presence is associated with a 'flaming torch' and the 'place of the ovens.'
Attire: No clothing, as he is a spirit. His form might be wreathed in shadows or fire, or made of an ethereal substance.
Wants: To maintain the order of the spirit world and process the dead according to tradition. He is annoyed by disruptions to this order.
Flaw: His inability to comprehend or deal with the missionary's peculiar human logic and unwavering personal principles, which are outside his spiritual laws.
Does not change, but is forced to make an unusual decision due to the missionary's unique defiance.
Powerful, ancient, vexed by human stubbornness, ultimately pragmatic.
Miru ⚔ antagonist
Described as 'ruddy in the glow of the ovens,' suggesting a robust, perhaps fiery or earthy appearance. She is the mother of four daughters, implying a maternal but fearsome figure.
Attire: No clothing, or perhaps simple, ancient garments made of natural materials, possibly adorned with bones or shells, fitting a Polynesian deity of the dead. Her 'ruddy' appearance might be her natural state.
Wants: To carry out the rituals of the dead according to ancient custom and serve Akaänga.
Flaw: Her adherence to tradition makes her inflexible when confronted with unprecedented defiance.
Does not change, but is frustrated by the missionary's defiance.
Stern, traditional, vexed by disruptions, obedient to Akaänga.
Daughter of Miru ◆ supporting
One of four daughters, likely sharing some of Miru's 'ruddy' glow, but perhaps with a more youthful or ethereal appearance. She carries the bowl of kava.
Attire: No clothing, or simple, ancient garments made of natural materials, possibly adorned with shells or leaves, fitting a Polynesian spirit. Her form might be somewhat translucent or glowing.
Wants: To fulfill her role in the ritual of the dead and offer the kava to the new arrivals.
Flaw: Inability to comprehend human moral taboos that contradict the logic of the spirit world.
Does not change, but is puzzled by the missionary's actions.
Ritualistic, traditional, puzzled by the missionary's defiance, persuasive.
The Convert ○ minor
A native islander, likely with darker skin tone and features typical of a Polynesian man. He is described as 'dripping and lamenting,' suggesting a state of distress.
Attire: No specific clothing is mentioned, but he would likely be in traditional Polynesian attire, perhaps a simple loincloth or wrap, now wet and clinging to him. The emphasis is on his state of being 'dripping and lamenting.'
Wants: To lament his fate and to confront the missionary with the failure of his teachings.
Flaw: His despair and loss of faith make him vulnerable and unable to resist the kava.
Does not change, serves as a foil to the missionary's eventual steadfastness.
Despairing, cynical, disillusioned, accusatory.
Locations
The Bay of Death
A very fair bay to look upon, with clear waters that are deceptively dangerous. A strong eddy pulls swimmers towards a reef. The shore is lined with palm trees, typical of a tropical island.
Mood: Initially serene and inviting, quickly becomes perilous and mysterious.
The missionary dismisses native warnings and goes swimming, only to be caught by a powerful eddy.
House of Yellow Reeds
A house raised on piles directly above the sea, constructed entirely of yellow reeds tied together with black sinnet. A ladder leads up to its door. Numerous calabashes hang all about the exterior.
Mood: Eerie, surreal, and isolated, floating on an endless sea.
The missionary is pulled by the eddy to this mysterious house, enters it, and then the island vanishes, leaving only the sea.
Ovens of Miru
A dread, enclosed place, lit by the ruddy glow of large ovens. Miru, a ruddy figure, is present with her four daughters who prepare the kava of the dead. Other 'comers out of the islands of the living' sit dripping and lamenting.
Mood: Dreadful, oppressive, despairing, with a sense of inescapable doom.
The missionary is brought here after his 'death' in the reed house, where he confronts his beliefs and refuses the kava of the dead.
Story DNA
Moral
Even when all external beliefs and certainties crumble, holding fast to a single, deeply held personal truth or principle can provide salvation.
Plot Summary
A skeptical missionary on an island disregards native warnings about a cursed house and a dangerous bay. When he swims in the forbidden bay, he is pulled into a supernatural realm of the dead, where he is captured by the deities Akaänga and Miru. Despite facing terrifying circumstances and encountering a mocking former convert, the missionary steadfastly refuses to drink the kava of the dead, citing a personal pledge. His unwavering adherence to this seemingly minor principle so confounds the supernatural beings that they release him, returning him to the island to reflect on the unexpected power of his personal truth.
Themes
Emotional Arc
skepticism to terror to bewildered relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects the clash between Western Christian missionaries and indigenous belief systems in the Pacific during the colonial period, often with missionaries dismissing local customs as superstition.
Plot Beats (13)
- Natives warn a missionary about a cursed house and a deadly bay, but he dismisses their beliefs as 'nothing in it.'
- The missionary goes swimming in the forbidden bay, where an eddy pulls him towards a mysterious house on piles.
- He enters the house, which vanishes, leaving him in darkness and caught in a net.
- Akaänga and Miru's misshapen hands retrieve him, taking him to the ovens of the dead.
- At the ovens, he sees Miru, her four daughters, and other lamenting souls, including a former convert of his.
- The convert mocks the missionary for being caught, questioning his own 'stories' (beliefs).
- Miru's daughters prepare the kava of the dead, singing a song of despair.
- The missionary is offered the kava, but despite his intense desire, he refuses, stating he is a 'blue-ribbon man' and kava is excluded by his personal pledge.
- The convert and Miru's daughter question his adherence to a taboo, especially one he previously opposed in others.
- The missionary insists on upholding his own word, even if his other beliefs seem to have failed.
- Akaänga is summoned and, unable to comprehend or deal with the missionary's stubborn integrity, decides to expel him.
- The missionary is instantly returned to the sea near the island, unharmed.
- He swims ashore, reflecting that while he was misinformed on some points, 'there is something in it after all,' referring to his personal truth, and then rings the bell for service.
