In this collection of short stories, the great French author explores the many facets of human experience, from joy to sorrow, hope to despair. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of the human heart, de Maupassant portrays a wide array of characters and situations, revealing the beauty and tragedy of life in equal measure. Fans of classic literature will not want to miss this haunting and masterful collection. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.