Kino does not want to open the oyster immediately, but Juana prompts him to open the oyster when he does, he finds a pearl the size of a sea gull's egg. As Kino is collecting oysters on the ocean bottom, he spots a larger-than-usual oyster, collects it, and returns to the canoe. Kino goes to work diving in the Gulf for oysters from his canoe Juana tends to Coyotito in the canoe by applying brown seaweed to his shoulder, which is swollen from the scorpion's bite. At the doctor's house, the doctor's servant tells Kino and Juana that the doctor is not at home - in truth, the doctor is home but will not help Coyotito because Kino cannot pay the doctor as much as the doctor wants, but also because the doctor is prejudiced against Kino's race. Kino accompanies Juana, and many members of the village follow them to see what will happen. Juana tells Kino to go to town and get the doctor, but Kino and their neighbors tell Juana that the doctor will never come to where they live, so Juana decides to take matters into her own hands and sets off with Coyotito to the doctor. Their lives seem rather peaceful, but their tranquility is threatened when a scorpion bites Coyotito. Kino, the novella's protagonist, is a young Mexican-Indian pearl diver married to Juana they have a baby named Coyotito.
