Mother has one unbreakable rule: 'No dessert until you finish your dinner.' But how can Edgar, Allan, and Poe possibly clear their plates when there are Brussels sprouts to be swallowed, liver to be chewed and, worst of all, beets to be bitten? There must be a way to get rid of dinner without having to gobble up this foul food. Perhaps the loose floorboard under Poe's chair is the answer! This clever twist on Edgar Allan Poe's The Beating of the Tell-Tale Heart will resonate with anyone who has ever wished that certain foods could just disappear. Natalie Rompella's children's books include Don't Squash that Bug: The Curious Kid's Guide to Insects. Natalie lives just outside of Chicago, Illinois. The whimsical work of internationally renowned illustrator Francois Ruyer has been featured in over 200 children's books.

Poe’s preference for not naming his narrators is potent once again in "The Tell-Tale Heart", a story that is trying so hard to appear sane, but fails miserably in the end. With minute preparations, perfect calculations, and even more precise execution of the conceived gruesome act, the narrator successfully fulfils his purpose, only to be lost in a battle with his sanity and guilt afterwards. Backed by the numerous movie and theatrical adaptations, the story is considered one of Poe’s most popular and critically acclaimed. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), "The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).

Having killed in a fit of passion, an unnamed narrator quickly hides the victim’s body only to be haunted by the victim’s relentless heartbeat. A pioneer of the short story genre, Poe’s stories typically captured themes of the macabre and included elements of the mysterious. His better-known stories include “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”. HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.

TRUE! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.