Magic by H. De Vere Stacpoole (1913)
"Magic" by H. De Vere Stacpoole is a short tale set in the South Pacific island of Tilafeaa, narrated in the first person by one of its two central figures, and framed as a story told aloud to listeners at Malaffii. Tauti and Uliami are two young men who, though not brothers by blood, share a bond as deep and devoted as brotherhood. Uliami is the more naturally dominant of the two, commanding greater respect and fortune, yet he consistently subordinates himself to Tauti out of love. Each has risked his life to save the other, and their friendship appears unbreakable. The bond begins to fray when Tauti discovers love. Walking alone through the trees one day, he encounters Kinei, the young daughter of Sikra the basket maker, crouching beneath a breadfruit tree and stringing flowers. Where before she had been little more than a cheerful acquaintance, he now sees something profound in her eyes and realizes he has fallen in love. For the first time in his life, he withholds something from Uliami, keeping his feelings secret. Unknown to Tauti, Uliami has also fallen in love with Kinei, but his love has made him fearful and hesitant rather than bold. He stumbles upon Tauti and Kinei embracing in the woods and silently withdraws, saying nothing. Tauti and Kinei marry and have a son, and as Tauti grows absorbed in domestic happiness, he gradually neglects his old friend. Uliami feels robbed not only of Kinei but of Tauti himself. The situation worsens when Uliami discovers that Kinei has been unfaithful to Tauti. He chooses to reveal this to his friend, but does so in a manner that provokes Tauti to strike him across the mouth. Both men declare a death feud, each vowing to kill the other by the following sunset. Their exchange is overheard from the bushes by Sikra, Kinei's father, a basket maker of low station but remarkable cunning and selfishness. Sikra recognizes that if the two men kill each other, his daughter's infidelity will be exposed publicly. He devises a scheme to rid the island of both men simultaneously. He tells Tauti that Uliami has fled in cowardice and has hidden himself aboard the schooner anchored in the lagoon. He advises Tauti to sign on as crew and settle his revenge quietly at sea. He then visits Uliami and tells him the same story in reverse, claiming Tauti has hidden aboard the brig. Each man, convinced the other has run away in fear, allows Sikra to row him out to a different ship in the dark. The two vessels depart at dawn, each carrying one of the deceived men, sailing in the same general direction but separated by many leagues. Sikra returns ashore, beats Kinei, and helps himself to the possessions of both absent men, confident neither will ever return. At sea, each man eventually reports to his captain that a stowaway is hiding in the cargo, only to find the hold empty. Each is kicked for his trouble, and gradually each realizes he has been tricked, though each blames the other rather than Sikra. The ships carry them far from everything familiar, and the voyage becomes a torment of homesickness. The sounds of the reef, the smell of the island winds, the sight of known faces — all of it recedes and is replaced by the alien cold machinery of the wider world. Both ships eventually arrive at San Francisco. The city bewilders and oppresses Uliami. The streets are full of people who look through one another as though blind, driven by invisible purposes, offering no greeting, no warmth, no recognition to a stranger. The great buildings are hard and joyless. Even the sun seems changed. Wandering lost and desolate near a grimy lane behind a great industrial building, Uliami rounds a corner and comes face to face with Tauti, who has arrived on the other ship and is equally adrift and miserable. Both men still carry their knives. They stand facing one another in a place perfectly suited to violence, with no witnesses and no reason for restraint. For a moment their old anger reasserts itself. Then a tremendous horn sounds from the factory building — the midday signal for the workers — and its raw, mournful howl seems to voice the desolation of the entire city. The sound startles them both, and in the shock of it something shifts. The alien ugliness surrounding them summons, by contrast, a vivid and overwhelming presence of Tilafeaa — its trees, its flowers, its warmth, its human ease. All anger dissolves, replaced entirely by the grief of exile and the love they have always borne one another. No human persuasion could have reconciled them. But the city's own voice, in its inhuman cry, conjured the island across a thousand leagues and let it do what no man could. Tauti never made it home. A fever took him before he could return to Tilafeaa. The narrator concludes simply: I am Uliami.
By H. De Vere Stacpoole · First published 1913 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance · 8 chapters · 6,524 words
First lines
Whether it is an island in the South Seas or a great city, the spell of one's homeland holds, and the sight of homeland face, when far afield, can work wonders in the human heart, as Tauti and Uliami lived to learn.
In Tilafeaa there lived, many years ago, two young men, Tauti and Uliami by name, and brothers in all things but birth.
What this Textopian page supports
Magic is listed on Textopian as a short story by H. De Vere Stacpoole, dated 1913 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: H. De Vere Stacpoole
- Date: 1913 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
- Length: 6,524 words
- Structure: 8 chapters, 90 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Magic by H. De Vere Stacpoole
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Magic?
- How does this short story by H. De Vere Stacpoole fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
Genres
- Fantasy — The novel centers on magical themes and supernatural elements as core plot drivers, with the title itself emphasizing magic as the central concept.
- Adventure — The narrative follows characters through various exploits and quests involving magical encounters and fantastical journeys.
- Romance — Stacpoole's work typically incorporates romantic storylines and relationships as significant elements within the magical narrative framework.
- Literary Fiction — The prose style and character development reflect literary conventions beyond pure genre entertainment, suggesting artistic merit and deeper thematic exploration.
Tags
fiction · novel · British literature · early twentieth century · fantasy · romance · adventure · mystery · supernatural · occult · illusion · spiritualism