Ambrose Bierce

Fantastic Fables Ambrose Bierce

Over 200 fantastic fables from the bitter pen of Ambrose Bierce fill this little volume to overflowing with a rich feast of his misanthropy. Bierce didn't miss a thing-greedy politicians, thieving doctors, not so pious holy men, aldermen, poets, naturalists, poodles, lions, kangaroos, judges, diplomats, legislators-all fall under close scrutiny in a delicious blend of sarcasm and satire that leaves no institution or pomposity of modern life unscathed. Called the American Swift, Bierce is one of the rare masters of the fable: like Aesop and La Fontaine, often personifying objects, animals, and even abstract concepts to reinforce his satire. A man lying at the point of death called his wife to his bedside and said: "I am about to leave you forever; give me, therefore, one last proof of your affection and fidelity, for, according to our holy religion, a married man seeking admittance at the gate of Heaven is required to swear that he has never defiled himself with an unworthy woman. In my desk you will find a crimson candle, which has been blessed by the High Priest and has a peculiar mystical significance. Swear to me that while it is in existence you will not remarry."The Woman swore and the Man died. At the funeral the Woman stood at the head of the bier, holding a lighted crimson candle till it was wasted entirely away