This volume is the first of a set of three books showcasing the work of Frederic Boutet, the other two volumes being The Voyage of Julius Pingouin and Other Strange Stories and Claude Mercoeur's Reflection and Other Strange Stories. Viewed as an ensemble, they illustrate the range and development of Boutet's early work, and provide representative samples of its later evolution. Although several stories by Boutet were translated into English in the 1920s, especially in America, they were selected from his later works, when he was writing sentimental stories and crime fiction for popular...