The Lagoon
"The Lagoon" is a short story by Joseph Conrad composed in 1896 and first published in The Cornhill Magazine in January 1897. The work was collected in Conrad’s first volume of short stories Tales of Unrest (1898). One of Conrad’s “Malayan tales”, “The Lagoon”, at 5,500 words, is Conrad’s shortest work of fiction. Frequently anthologized, Conrad reported that it was his favorite story. Plot A white man, addressed as "Tuan" (the equivalent of "Lord" or "Sir") arrives by canoe at the remote jungle dwelling of the Malayan Arsat. The two men were formerly involved in some regional intrigues. The white man finds that Arsat’s wife, Diamelen, is dying from a mysterious illness. Arsat begins to tell a story, starting with the time when he and his brother kidnapped Diamelen (who was previously a servant of the rajah's wife). They all fled in a boat at night and traveled until they were exhausted. Soon, they discover they are being pursued by the rajah's men. Arsat's brother told Diamelen and Arsat to flee to the other side, where there was a fisherman's hut. He instructed them to take the fisherman's boat and then stayed back, telling them to wait for him, while