CHAPTER SUMMARIES  

CHAPTER 1 

bullet Kino, a fisherman, lives in a small fishing village by the sea. He awakes to the sound of the waves on the beach.
bullet He is happy listening to the early morning sounds, which includes the Song of the Family.
bullet Juana, his wife, prepares breakfast and sings to her baby, Coyotito.
bullet After having breakfast, both Kino and Juana see a scorpion moving slowly down the rope of the hanging baby's box (crib).
bullet The Song of Evil, a savage and dangerous melody and also the music of the enemy, plays in Kino's mind.
bullet The scorpion falls into the baby box and stings Coyotito before Kino can kill it.
bullet Juana tries to suck the poison from Coyotito's shoulder.
bullet They decide to take the baby to the doctor in the nearby town.
bullet All their neighbours follow - they want to know if the doctor will treat Coyotito.
bullet The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino has no money.
bullet Kino is angry.

CHAPTER 2

bullet Kino loves his old canoe and takes very good care of it - it was given to him by his father (who inherited it from his own father).
bullet Juana makes a poultice out of seaweed and applies it to Coyotito's swollen shoulder.
bullet Kino takes Juana and Coyotito with him in his canoe when he goes diving for oysters.
bullet As Kino dives into the sea for oysters, he hears the Song of the Pearl That Might Be in his head.
bullet He finds a large oyster lying in an isolated spot.
bullet Kino opens the oyster and finds the great pearl, as large as 'a seagull's egg', and as 'perfect as the moon'.
bullet At the same time, Juana notices that the swelling on Coyotito's shoulder is going down.
bullet Kino screams out with joy and the other fisherman rush to him.

CHAPTER 3

bullet News that Kino has found the Pearl of the World travels fast around the town.
bullet Everyone wants to sell Kino something or to ask favours from him.
bullet Kino plans to sell the great pearl and dreams of living a decent life.
bullet The priest reminds Kino to give thanks to God for his good fortune.
bullet Kino hears 'the music of evil, of the enemy' faintly in his mind.
bullet That night, the doctor and his servant appear at Kino's little brush house to treat Coyotito.
bullet Kino does not welcome the doctor - he is still angry - but the doctor frightens him about Coyotito's condition.
bullet The doctor gives the baby a capsule that contains white powder. He tells Kino that the poison will attack within the hour. He says that he will be back in an hour.
bullet Later that night, after the doctor has gone home, the baby becomes very sick.
bullet The doctor rushes to treat Coyotito as soon as he hears that the baby is ill but he demands payment from Kino.
bullet Kino believes the doctor may have made the baby sick, but he promises to pay as soon as he sells the pearl.
bullet The doctor offers to keep the pearl for him but Kino refuses the offer.
bullet That night, someone tries to steal the pearl but Kino puts up a flight. The intruder hits him on the head and runs away.
bullet Juana blames the pearl for the attack and asks Kino to destroy the pearl or throw it back into the sea but Kino refuses to do so.

BACK TO MAIN