This edition brings together ten stories never before collected that show the range and experimentation in Hardy's technique and subject matter as never before. In addition to the title story, derived from Hardy's unpublished first novel, this volume includes How I Built Myself a House, Destiny and a Blue Cloak, Our Exploits at West Poley, Old Mrs Chundle, The Doctor's Legend, The Spectre of the Real, Blue The Horse Stealer, and The Unconquerable . With an insightful introduction, this edition takes the reader beyond the usual Hardy canon.