The Bottle Imp

"The Bottle Imp" is an 1891 short story by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson usually found in the short story collection "Island Nights' Entertainments." It was first published in the "New York Herald" (February-March 1891) and "Black and White" London (March-April 1891). In it, the protagonist buys a bottle with an imp inside that grants wishes. However, the bottle is cursed; if the holder dies bearing it, his or her soul is forfeit to hell.