Originally published in 1947, this collection of thirteen short stories, presented in the original Italian, was created with a view towards providing interesting reading material for sixth form and university students, together with the general reader. All of the stories were written in the late nineteenth century or the early twentieth, and are arranged broadly in chronological order. The text is carefully edited, containing an introduction and extensive notes with information on each story and its respective author. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Italian language and its literature.