In the title story a bet between two rich eccentrics catapults a down-and-out clerk from San Francisco into wealth, status, and fame in London society. The other pieces range from serious essays reflecting Twain's interest in extrasensory perception, to a tongue-in-cheek "Petition to the Queen of England" for relief from taxes.
A collection of thirty-eight tales and sketches, providing an overview of Twain's work from "Advice to Little Girls," a spoof that appeared in 1865, to the title story, written in 1904.
A simple retelling of five stories by Mark Twain, in which he pokes fun at newspapers, Victorian manners, obedience to one's parents, the British, and perceptions of reality.
