A collection of startlingly vivid short stories from Patrick O'Brian, author of the highly acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series. Patrick O'Brian has emerged, in the opinion of many, as one of the greatest novelists in English. His fame rests mainly on the achievement of the epic Aubrey/Maturin novels, but few readers know that O'Brian first made his reputation as a writer of short fiction. Collected here are twenty-seven stories that O'Brian wished to preserve: stories of uncommon lyricism and beauty that will confirm his rightful place in the front rank of short-story writers as well as of novelists. Although the tone of this collection ranges effortlessly from the humorous to the dramatic, the most characteristic and memorable stories often have to do with a glimpse of savage, destructive forces through the fragile shell of human civilization. The threatened chaos may be psychological, as in "On the Wolfsberg," or it may be lurking in the natural world, as in "A Passage of the Frontier," or, as in the dark masterpiece "The Chian Wine," it is suddenly discovered in the ancient, irrational impulses of human nature. The setting may be the marshes of western Ireland, the Pyrenees, or the claustrophobic confines of a clockmender's house, but each story is a showcase for Patrick O'Brian's fresh and meticulous prose; each story reaffirms his sympathetic understanding of human passion and suffering. This collection proves that O'Brian is not simply the master of a genre, but an author who will long be honored as one of our most eminent literary figures.

Five tales by the master storyteller include the title story, a precursor to Heart of Darkness, plus "A Smile of Fortune," "An Anarchist," "The Informer," and "Il Conde."

This is the first collection by W. H. D. Rouse of 28 charming folk tales from India. The book is illustrated with 51 pen and ink drawings by – W. Heath Robinson, who is more famous for his illustrations of elaborate machines than he is for illustrations of children’s books. Herein you will find stories like: The Giant Crab, The Hypocritical Cat, The Crocodile And The Monkey, The Wise Parrot And The Foolish Parrot The Dishonest Friend The Mouse And The Farmer The Talkative Tortoise The Goblin And The Sneeze The Foolish Farmer And The King The Pious Wolf Birds Of A Feather The King’s Lesson; plus many, many more. Be sure to check out “The Giant Crab Children's Colouring Book” in which all 51 images can be found. Instead of being a single-use colouring book, this book is multi-use allowing you print, and reprint images, as much as you, and your children, like. It can be downloaded at https://goo.gl/2aB9R1 But be warned, this book was compiled in a time long before political correctness had been thought of, and the stories are from well before this time as well. These stories were told to teach children the consequences of behaving well or breaking the law. While not all those who broke the law paid the ultimate price, some did, but most got off with a warning after being found out. =========== KEYWORDS/TAGS: Giant Crab, India, folklore, fairy tales, W H D Rouse, old India, illustrations, Heath Robinson, Giant Crab, Other Stories, Hypocritical Cat, Crocodile and the Monkey, Axe, the Drum the Bowl and the Diamond, Wise Parrot and the Foolish Parrot, Dishonest Friend, Mouse and the Farmer, Talkative Tortoise, Monkeys and the Gardener, Goblin, Sneeze, Grateful Beasts, Ungrateful Prince, Goblin in the Pool, Foolish Farmer, King, Pious Wolf, Birds of a Feather, Spend a Pound, Win a Penny, Cunning Crane, Giant Crab, Union is Strength, Silence is Golden, Great Yellow King, Porter, Quail, Falcon, Pride, Fall, Bold Beggar, Jackal Would A-Wooing Go, Lion, Boar, Goblin City, Lacknose, King’s Lesson

The first of Chekhov's works to be published in a serious literary journal, `The Steppe', with its masterly account of a spectacular thunderstorm, signifies his maturation as a writer of short stories. While the majority of his tales focus on the privileged classes, this selection shows that Chekhov never forgot his origins as the son of a failed provincial grocer, and characters as varied as the brutal soldier in `Gusev', the downtrodden old constable in `On Official Business', and the bemused peasants in `New Villa' testify to the power and flexibility of his art.