The Pearl

"In the town they tell the story of the great pearl - how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino; the fisherman; and of his wife; Juana; and of the baby; Coyotito. And because the story has been told so often; it has taken root in every man's mind. And; as with all retold tales that are in people's hearts; there are only good and bad things and black and white things and good and evil things and no in-between anywhere.

If this story is a parable; perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it. In any case; they say in the town that..."