CONTENTS: Introduction -- The notorious jumping frog of Calaveras County -- The story of the bad little boy -- Cannibalism in the cars -- A day at Niagara -- Legend of the Capitoline Venus -- Journalism in Tennessee -- A curious dream -- The facts in the great beef contract -- How I edited an agricultural paper -- A medieval romance -- My watch -- Political economy -- Science vs. luck -- The story of the good little boy -- Buck Fanshaw's funeral -- The story of the old ram -- Tom Quartz -- A trial -- The trials of Simon Erickson -- A true story -- Experience of the McWilliamses with membranous. croup -- Some learned fables for good old boys and girls -- The canvasser's tale -- The loves of Alonzo Fitz Clarence and Rosannah Ethelton -- Edward Mills and George Benton: a tale -- The men who put up at Gadsby's -- Mrs. McWilliams and the lightning -- What stumped the bluejays -- A curious experience -- The invalid's story -- The McWilliamses and the burglar alarm -- The stolen white elephant -- A burning brand -- A dying man's confession - - The professor's yarn -- A ghost story -- Luck -- Playing courier -- The Californian's tale -- The diary of Adam and Eve -- The Esquimau maiden's.romance -- Is he living or is he dead? -- The $1,000,000 bank-note -- Cecil Rhodes and the shark -- The joke that made Ed's fortune -- A story without end -- The man that corrupted Hadleyburg -- The death disk -- Two little tales -- The belated Russian passport -- A double- barreled detective story -- Was it heaven? or hell? -- A dog's tale -- Hunting the deceitful turkey -- Extract from Captain Stormfield's visit to heaven -- A fable -- The mysterious stranger.