The Treasure in the Forest

H. G. Wells

About the author and story

This short story "The Treasure in the Forest" has been written by an American writer H. G. Wells. It was initially published in the year 1894. This story has been taken from the collection "The Country of the Blind and other Short Stories". This is a suspenseful story that has presented the theme of greed and its destructive results. This story of mystery is about an ominous  adventure of two English men and their search for Spanish treasure who become victims of their greed and power. This story has presented the bitter reality that greed and power always corrupt human beings and invite destructive consequences. The writer of this story has kept all his readers in very suspense till the end. He has shown the concept that the end of greed is always destructive. There are altogether three main characters here in this story. Two of them are Englishmen named Evans and Hooker whereas one is a Chinese man named Chang hi. 

Summary

The story starts with the description of the two Englishmen's activities and their surroundings. They seemed tired and thirsty due to their whole night voyage and excessive heat. They wanted to find a river at first to quench their thirst. They stopped for a while on the sea and discussed in low tones looking at a yellow-coloured old map. The sketch of the island on the map was so blur. It was fragmented with creases due to much folding. After long sailing the canoe, they were close to the island. They could easily see the green forest and high mountains ahead. 
According to the sketch of the map, Hooker pointed the location and told Evans about the beach, forest and the mountains. He showed the river on the map pointing to carved and twisted lines. Later, he pointed at the three palm trees' location and confirmed the blue star's place as the exact location of the treasure. He asked him to be careful. Evans wondered to find some marks at the bottom. They got confused about those sharp dots/dashes and even the writing. They didn't care much about them. They agreed saying that they were the Chinese Men. They sat and looked towards the island quietly. Then, Hooker put the map back into his pocket quietly and started paddling. He was completely tired but he kept on going in spite of thirst.
Evans was too tired. He sat in the boat with his eyes half-closed. The noon was at its height of heat. They were close to the beach and the treasure, but there was no excitement due to their tiredness. Evans needed urgent rest. He thought of various things in his mind. The need for freshwater, the motion of the body on the boat, sound of the waves made him sleep at the same time. Just after closing his eyes, Evans started dreaming about the treasure and the Chinaman Chang hi. He saw both of them in the forest during the night-time. They were searching for something. They saw a little fire through the trees. Both of them saw three Chinesemen sitting in front of a fire and talking about the treasure in quiet voices. They were using an English accent. At first, Hooker heard their words. Both of them moved closer to hear them. Evans only got some ideas from their accent. He came to know about the hidden treasure on the island by Chang hi. Once Chang hi had got a chance to hide the gold secretly on the island during a Spanish shipwreck. He had got the gold from the galleon and hid on the island alone. Chang hi wanted to take out the hidden gold with the help of his friends. He had a map related to the hidden treasure. For both poor Evans and Hooker, the story of Chang hi was so fine to hear. The dream of Evans changed all of a sudden. He saw himself catching the neck of Chang hi. Chang hi started crying and saying the words 'No!' and 'Please' time and again. But Evans made him quiet. Later Evans saw the gold in huge portions. But in the meantime, he saw Chang hi who opened his eyes and smiled a terrible and mysterious smile. Chang hi called out his name "Evans".
Hooker made Evans awake saying "Evans, Evan's, you fool... When Evans opened his eyes, he found Hooker shouting. He found himself near the beach. Hooker informed him about three palm trees in the forest. He told him that if they found the palm trees, they could easily find the treasure. When Evans saw the river, Hooker told him about the possibility of palm trees' location near the river, deep in the forest. They were quite close to the treasure next to some bushes. Evans became so happy to see the river. Hooker started paddling boat too fast. Soon their boat reached up in the river. They stopped their boat under trees. After a few minutes, Evans put his hand into the river and took a drink of cold, clean water. He closed his eyes and expressed his intense happiness saying 'This is good water.' Hooker even smiled and drank too. After drinking water, they remained there in the boat and rested. Hooked didn't want to go in the sun again. He wanted to remain there in cool shadows. But Evans insisted him to move on in search of the treasure. Hooker filled up his bottle with cold water and they started paddling their boat again. Soon they reached the sea again. They arrived on the beach and got out. They pulled their boat on the beach. Evans pointed towards the thick bushes and asked Hooker to move towards there. Hooker took out a big knife from his boat so that they could make their path ahead. Both of them moved ahead cutting thick bushes. There was so cold. They decided to find the river again to find palm trees near the river quickly. They cut the big white flowers on the way ahead but they didn't know the names of the flowers. Evans didn't care much about flowers. He was much concerned with the treasure. As they moved ahead, they stopped to see something behind the bushes. They moved ahead quite carefully. They found a dead body of a man behind the bushes. The dead man's head was down in the grass. When Evans inspected turning dead body, he found a Chinaman. The dead body's face was black and purple. The dead body seemed perhaps a month old. Evans found a shovel and lots of dirt and a big hole in the ground on the left side of the body. When he looked up, he saw three palm trees. He quietly told about the palm trees to Hooker but Hooker didn't hear. Hooker also saw the hole and ran towards there. He saw gold in the hole and called Evans. Evans also came near to the hole. He jumped into the hole after seeing the bars of gold. He saw yellow gold bars under his feet. When he touched the bars of gold, he cried. When he looked at his finger, he found a little thorn. He took out the thorn and cleaned the dirt from the gold bar. He found the gold bar heavy. Hooker looked at the dead body of Chinaman and became worried. He thought about the present circumstances. He doubted Chinaman's death and the untouched gold bars. But Evans made him quiet saying that the snake might bite him or he was ill. Evans asked to ignore Chinaman angrily. He took off his coat happily and put three bars of gold on its top. Evans again cried because of a little thorn on his finger. He became angry to see the worried face of Hooker. He asked him to help him collecting gold bars. Hooker kept on looking at the dead body of Chinaman who looked like Chang hi. But Evans asked him to forget the dead body. Hooker wanted to bury the dead body being fearful. Evans convinced him saying that it wasn't Chang hi's body. Hooker felt too worried thinking about Chang hi. He started looking at his surroundings. He looked at the trees, the big white flowers and again the dead body. He felt quite a different cold in the warm forest. He felt himself quite far from his home. He doubted on the dead body whether it was smiling or not.
A bit later, Hooker also jumped into the hole and helped Evans. Evans smiled but then he put his hand on his forehead. He felt pain in his arms and neck. Hooker thought heat inside the hole was the cause of pain. He took Evans' hand down from the forehead. Both of them filled the bars in the coat and came out of the hole pulling the coat. Both of them decided to take the gold home. As they moved towards their boat, Evans stopped after a few minutes. He decided to take a rest there. Evans again got up and started to walk. But he stopped and dropped the coat. Some bars fell on the ground. His face was full of sweat. When Hooker asked him about his state, he stopped Hooker from coming close in a loud voice. He moved near the tree and stood against it. Hooker wanted to help him but Evans denied him coming near. He asked him to collect the gold and move. Hooker became quite worried. His tension increased. He didn't want to stay there alone in the forest with his sick friend. There was none to get help. Nobody knew about their trip. He looked at his friend Evans. He wasn't able to carry both his friend and the gold. He started to pick up the bars slowly. As he picked up the last piece, he felt pain in his finger. He found a thorn on his finger which was about two centimetres long. It was just like a tooth or a piece of glass. In the meantime, Evans fell on the grass crying loudly. Hooker became restless. Evans was crying in pain. His body was trembling. Hooker looked at his surroundings. He looked at all the trees, bushes and the big white flowers. He thought about the Chinaman's body and looked again at Evans. He remembered the map, the sharp marks at the bottom of it and the Chinese writing. Now, he realized the meaning of the map's those marks and Chinese writing which he couldn't understand earlier. The marks were the shape of the thorns. Those thorns were similar to Dyaks poison which Chinese use in their blowing-tubes. He looked at Evans, but Evans was motionless. His eyes were open, but they did not move. Hooker started sucking his finger hard but vain. He started feeling pain in his hands, arms and neck. He was unable to move his fingers properly. He sat down. The forest was silent. He thought about Chang hi's smiling face. He looked at Evans's body and then looked up. A little wind moved through the trees. From one of them, a big white flower fell and landed on the ground in front of him. He also started trembling with pain and his death was quick.




UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT 

Answer the following questions.

a. Describe the expository scene of the story.
Ans: The expository scene of the story is that it begins with the description of two tired and thirsty English men and their surroundings in the sea. These two men are in their small canoe near the beach of a tropical island. They can easily see the empty beach, the green forest and the mountains of the island ahead.
b. What does the map look like and how do Evans and Hooker interpret it?
Ans: The map looks quite old and blur not clear. It is yellow coloured map with creases due to much folding. Evans and Hooker interpret its sketch by pointing to the different locations on it. For them, the beach, the forest and mountains on the map are just in front of them which they are watching. The carved and twisted line on the map is the river where they can easily get cold and freshwater. The blue star's location is the exact spot of treasure where three palm trees are standing near the river somewhere deep in the forest. They ignore the bottom dashes which look like pieces of glasses or teeth. Finally, they consider the writing as Chinese because the people whom they met in the forest were Chinese men.
c. How did Evans and Hooker know about the treasure?
Ans: Evans and Hooker knew about the treasure through three Chinese men's quiet talks in the forest. Both Evans and Hooker were there in the jungle searching for something. They saw the Chinese men behind some bushes in the forest. The Chinese men were sitting in front of a fire and talking quietly about the treasure in an English accent. Evans and Hooker moved closer to them secretly and heard their plan related to the hidden Spanish treasure.
d. Describe Evans's dream.
Ans: Evans's dream was so strange and mysterious. He dreamt of it sitting on his boat. He saw different things in his dream at once after closing his eyes. He saw himself and his friend Hooker in the forest searching for something. They saw three Chinese men behind some bushes who were sitting in front of a fire and talking quietly about the treasure in an English accent. Both friends moved closer to them to hear them properly. They got some ideas related to Spanish treasure through Chinese men. Next, Evans saw himself catching the neck of Chang hi. Chang hi started crying with pleading words 'No' and 'Please'. But Evans made him quiet. Next, he saw gold in huge portions. Finally, he saw Chang hi again with his eyes open wide. Chang hi appeared smiling mysteriously and called out Evans's name.
e. What do the two treasure hunters see when they walk towards the island?
Ans: The two treasure hunters see various things when they walk towards the island. Firstly, they see thick bushes and cut them to make their way ahead. Later, they see big white flowers which they haven't seen before. Finally, they see a dead body of Chinese man whose face is down on the grass.
f. In what condition did the treasure hunters find the dead man?
Ans:- As they moved carefully ahead chopping thick bushes and big white flowers, they found the dead man. The dead man's body was in a miserable state. The face of the dead man was down on the grass. When Evans inspected turning the dead body, he found a Chinese man. The dead body's face was black and purple. 
g. How did the treasure hunters try to carry gold ingots to the canoe?
Ans: They tried to carry gold ingots to the canoe with great difficulty. The coat was quite heavy due to heavy gold bars. Both of them pulled the coat out of the hole helping each other. They decided to take the gold home. Evans stopped and rested at first. Next, he dropped the coat and the gold bars fell to the ground. They started trembling and feeling pain in their arms and necks. They failed to reach the canoe along with gold bars at last.
h. How were Evans and Hooker poisoned?
Ans:- Evans and Hooker were poisoned due to their carelessness. They didn't have proper knowledge about the sharp dots of the map on the bottom.  Evans was poisoned at first inside the hole while touching gold bars. He got poisonous Dyaks thorns in his fingers twice. Hooker got the same thorn in the ground while picking up the last gold bar. The poisonous thorns started showing their reactions. Both felt pain in their arms and necks. They trembled in pain and died at last.

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT 

a. How do you know the story is set on a tropical island?
Answer: We know the story is set on a tropical island simply through its description of two English men´s activities and surroundings which  is its  setting. The story has presented a tropical deserted island far away from human habitation. The tropical island simply has a hot climate. Here in the story, we find an island with a hot climate. This island is located quite far which is surrounded by the sea. The characters in the story are seen tired and thirsty due to their whole night voyage and excessive heat in the island's region. Another feature of a tropical island is the rainforest. We can see the rain forest here in this story where two characters find a river and quench their thirst with fresh, clean and cold water. Here, thick bushes and big white flowers which the characters see on their way are mostly seen in tropical islands. All these things in the story reveal the fact that the story is set on a tropical island.

b. Why do you think Evan and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure on a desert island?
Ans:- I think Evans and Hooker took such a risk of finding the buried treasure in a desert island in order to  be prosperous in their lives with good economic status. They are poor treasure hunters who are in seek of a glorious chance to improve their lifestyle. They feel so good to hear Chinese men's secret talks related to the treasure in a deep forest of a deserted island. They attack Chineseman and snatch a map from him bearing risks. They want to uplift their poor conditions at any cost. Their greed for becoming rich and prosperous makes them undertake this venture.
c. Do you think the narrator of the story is racist? If yes, what made him feel superior to other races? 
Ans: By racist, we mean a person who believes that a particular race is superior to others and discriminates against other races. Yes, I think the narrator of the story is racist.  After reading this story, I have got the idea that the narrator has a feeling of racism. Here, the narrator has presented himself as superior while narrating the story describing its events and characters. We find him addressing the characters in a very biased manner. He has even discriminated against the characters according to their race while describing them. 
In the story, he has addressed the characters by their racial or ethnic groups. He has introduced them with "Two Englishmen" and "Three Chinese men". Here, addressing the characters in this manner shows the narrator's pride in his race. He seems to have dominating nature while describing them. 
Next, he has even made a biased comparison between two Englishmen and Chinese men. He has shown the superiority of Englishmen over Chinese men. Chinese men have been presented as the people of marginalised groups. Both Englishmen kill an innocent Chinese man Chang hi brutally. Here, the narrator has presented Englishmen's superiority over Chinese men. 
The superiority of the narrator is seen in the story most of the time. His description seems quite biased. His narrating style is a dominating type where he has discriminated against the characters in the matter of racism.
d. What do you think is the moral of the story? 
Ans: I think the moral of the story is the bad consequences of excess greed and power. The story has presented the downfall of two Englishmen due to their greed and misuse of power. Both of them become victims of greed and power. Thus, we should not run after greed and power. Greed always invites destructive consequences in our lives.
It also shows that lack of preparation may cause trouble for us . We should not do anything hurriedly.