The Little Glass Bottle, by H. P. Lovecraft: Summary and Full Text

The Little Glass Bottle is one of the earliest works by H. P. Lovecraft, apparently written in 1897 when Lovecraft was only 7 years old.

Despite this, it was actually never published until long after Lovecraft died, when it was included in The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces, in 1959.

A handwritten version of The Little Glass Bottle by H. P. Lovecraft
A handwritten version of The Little Glass Bottle

Summary of The Little Glass Bottle

The story has three characters:

  • William Jones, a captain
  • John Towers, a crewman
  • And John Jones, a prankster

The story begins when the crew of a small ship find a floating bottle in the ocean.

The bottle is, allegedly, from the captain of a ship full of treasure that sunk off the coast of Australia.

Thinking they might get rich, the captain and crew sail off to find the sunk ship, only to find that the entire trip was a practical joke by John Jones. They discover there is no treasure, and all they find is a note with an apology for the prank, along with $25 to cover the expenses they wasted along the way.

At least the prankster was kind enough to compensate them.


Full Text of The Little Glass Bottle

“Heave to, there’s something floating to the leeward” the speaker was a short stockily built man whose name was William Jones. he was the captain of a small cat boat in which he & a party of men were sailing at the time the story opens.

“Aye aye sir” answered John Towers & the boat was brought to a stand still Captain Jones reached out his hand for the object which he now discerned to be a glass bottle “Nothing but a rum flask that the men on a passing boat threw over” he said but from an impulse of curiosity he reached out for it. it was a rum flask & he was about to throw it away when he noticed a piece of paper in it. He pulled it out & on it read the following

Jan 1 1864
I am John Jones who writes this letter my ship is fast sinking with a treasure on board I am where it is marked * on the enclosed chart

Captain Jones turned the sheet over & the other side was a chart

chart in the Little Glass Bottle by H. P. Lovecraft

on the edge were written these words

dotted lines represent course we took

“Towers” Said Capt. Jones exitedly “read this” Towers did as he was directed “I think it would pay to go” said Capt. Jones “do you”? “Just as you say” replied Towers. “We’ll charter a schooner this very day” said the exited captain “All right” said Towers so they hired a boat and started off govnd by the dotted lines of they chart in 4 weeks the reached the place where directed & the divers went down and came up with an iron bottle they found in it the following lines scribbled on a piece of brown paper

Dec 3 1880
Dear Searcher excuse me for the practical joke I have played on you but it serves you right to find nothing for your foolish act—

“Well it does” said Capt Jones “go on”

However I will defray your expenses to & from the place you found your bottle I think it will be $25.0.00 so that amount you will find in an Iron box I know where you found the bottle because I put this bottle here & the iron box & then found a good place to put the second bottle hoping the enclosed money will defray your expenses some I close—Anonymus”

“I’d like to kick his head off” said Capt Jones “Here diver go & get the $25.0.00 in a minute the diver came up bearing an iron box inside it was found $25.0.00 It defrayed their expenses but I hardly think that they will ever go to a mysterious place as directed by a mysterious bottle.

Leave a Comment