The Secret Cave, or John Lees Adventure, is a short story by the late American author Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Written in 1898 when he was only eight years old, it forms part of his juvenilia.
Synopsis[]
Young John Lee and his sister discover a passageway hidden behind a false wall in the basement when their parents leave them alone. Exploring the cavern, they come upon some treasure but inadvertently start a flood, the water coming from an unknown source. John escapes, but his sister is killed.
Characters[]
- John Lee, an adventurous ten-year-old boy.
- Alice Lee, John's two-year-old sister.
Publication History[]
First published in The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces in 1959, long after Lovecraft's death, it has been included in several collections in the years since, and has been translated into both Italian and German.