In addition to the poignant title story, this selection of 27 comic and cruel stories includes The Necklace and Le Horla, an account of a disintegrating personality that chillingly parallels the author's own decline into madness. Out on the River Simon's Dad Family Life A Farm Girl's Story A Day in the Country Marroca Country Livign Riding out A Railway Story Old Milon Our Chum Patience A Coup d'Etat The Christening Coco A Coward The Patron The Umbrella The Necklace Strolling Bed 29 The Gamekeeper The Little Roque Girl Mademoiselle Pearl Rosalie Prudent Our Spot Clochette Le Horla