The Gold-Bug

A descendant of an old aristocratic family, Legrand suffers failure after failure and loses nearly all his wealth. He leaves New Orleans and settles on a small island with an old Black servant and a huge Newfoundland dog. During one of his walks on the island, Legrand finds a “golden” beetle, which he wraps in a piece of parchment he discovers nearby. At home, by complete accident, Legrand finds an image of a skull on the parchment as well as an encrypted text made of digits and symbols. In this find, he sees a good omen meaning his soon escape from poverty and the long-awaited prosperity.