These stories are quick little snippets to
amuse the reader and make him think. Most of them end with a
good laugh. Each can be read in ten or fifteen minutes. They
tell about ordinary people who get into situations beyond
their control, their efforts to extricate themselves, and
the humorous results that often ensue, sometimes because of
their efforts, sometimes in spite of them. Not all the men
and women in these stories are nice people; some get their
come-uppance in a surprise ending in the style of O. Henry
or Guy de Maupassant. Sometimes there is a happy ending,
sometimes not. Like life. The subjects include counterfeit
money, foiled bomb plots, stage fright, life in an igloo,
prejudice and racism, con men, stupidity, war, murder,
courtship, marriage, divorce, various love affairs,
gentleman and cads, nice girls and naughty ones, student
pranks, animals, political intrigue, teen-age troubles, and
plenty of goofy people like some you know in your own town,
although the names have been changed, protecting the guilty
as well as the innocent. The stories are handled with a
light touch, tongue-in-cheek, and a good deal of irony. They
are all unrelated, but each one offers a pleasant way to end
the day at bedtime.
