The ‘money pit’ on Oak Island in Nova Scotia has a (multi?) storied history. I’m not going to try to recap the history of the place: the Wikipedia page on the ‘money pit’ is thorough, balanced and sharply written. Cribbed from that is a list of the ‘treasure’ believed to be waiting: pirate doubloons, British or Spanish government money, Marie Antoinette’s jewels, the Ark of the Covenant, proof that Francis Bacon was the real author of Shakespeare’s plays, and (naturally) the Holy Grail.

I’m inclined to view the pit itself as the treasure. It’s better than a reflecting pool, because it reveals the innermost hopes, desires and dreams of all the seekers who come looking to plumb its mysteries.