The delighted wonder surrounding a cat that has learned to talk quickly turns to dismay when the feline's conversation involves the scandalous remarks he's overheard. "e;Tobermory"e; abounds in the irony for which its author, Saki, is well known and admired. Along with the other short stories in this first-rate anthology, it showcases the talents of a renowned British writer.Other stories include Anthony Trollope's "e;The Parson's Daughter of Oxney Colne,"e; a subtle study of the psychological cost of maintaining self-esteem; Thomas Hardy's "e;The Fiddler of the Reels,"e; in which a village girl is seduced by the beguiling melodies of a diabolical musician; and M. R. James's "e;Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad,"e; the tale of a vacationing professor who conjures up the unexpected with an artifact from a ruined medieval church. "e;The Haunted House,"e; by Charles Dickens, and Rudyard Kipling's story of a golden-haired ghost, "e;The Phantom 'Rickshaw,"e; also venture into the supernatural. Additional selections include D. H. Lawrence's "e;The Prussian Officer,"e; H. G. Wells's "e;Under the Knife,"e; and Robert Louis Stevenson's "e;A Lodging for the Night,"e; plus stories by John Galsworthy, Wilkie Collins, and others.