Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde" almost didn't make it to the publisher. Stevenson's wife hated the story and threw it out with the left over haggis and empty Glenfiddich bottles. Fortunately, the author retrieved the manuscript before it was carted away, and since then, Dr. J. and Mr. H. has become, arguably, Stevenson's best known work ("Treasure Island" a close second) with at least three movies and one musical based on it. Among those who played the dual role: John Barrymore, Fredric March, Spencer Tracy and Jack Palance.
Stevenson gave two accounts of the story's creation. In one, he said it came to him in a dream. But the story we prefer is that the Brownies--not the ones who sell cookies--came during the night and wrote it for him.
We are all for this way of getting a good story without actually having to do the work. Please give the Brownies our address.
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