The lady, or the tiger? The transferred ghost. The spectral mortgage. Our archery club. That same old 'coon. His wife's deceased sister. Our story. Mr. Tolman. On the training of parents. Our fire-screen. A piece of red calico. Every man his own letter-writer

This collection of short stories by Frank R. Stockton was first published in 1884, following the immense and unexpected success of the title story, The Lady, or the Tiger?, which had appeared in The Century Magazine the previous year. Stockton was a prolific American writer of the late 19th century, known for his ability to blend whimsical humor with subtle social satire, and this volume serves as a representative anthology of his broader work during that period.

The stories within this compilation are characterized by Stockton's signature narrative style, which often pivots on unresolved ambiguity or domestic absurdity. The title piece, in particular, captured the public imagination of the Gilded Age by leaving its protagonist's fate entirely to the reader's discretion, sparking years of cultural debate. The collection itself was designed to capitalize on this curiosity, gathering a variety of his previously published magazine tales into a cohesive format that highlighted his versatility across genres, from supernatural comedy to observational domestic sketches.