The Stories of the Three Burglars

Frank R. Stockton, the master of the mischievous tale, turns Victorian domesticity into a playground of absurdity. When a respectable householders in a quiet neighborhood finds himself plagued by repeated burglaries, he devises a scheme as ridiculous as it is ingenious: he will lace his finest wine with a sleeping potion and leave it temptingly accessible, waiting for greedy hands to do the rest. The trap works beautifully. Three burglars stumble into his home, drink the drugged wine, and collapse into a deep slumber. But this is only the beginning of Stockton's game, where the real humor lies not in the capture but in what comes after. What does a gentleman do with three unconscious intruders? How does he explain their presence to his family, his neighbors, the authorities? Stockton pokes gentle fun at middle-class anxieties about property, propriety, and the lengths a man will go to protect his hearth. The stories here are warm, winking, and flecked with the kind of understated satire that made Stockton one of the most beloved humorists of his era. Perfect for readers who prefer their comedy with a Victorian accent and their burglars thoroughly nap-tized.