Maria Louise Ramé (1839-1908) was an English novelist who often chose to write under the pen-name Ouida for her more than 40 novels, children’s books and collections of short stories and essays. Her early works were considered quite racy for Victorian-era readers, and many of her stories and characters were based on well-known people that attended soirees at the Langham Hotel, London, where she lived for a brief time. This collection of stories contains her most well-known, ’A Dog of Flanders, ’ the poignant story about a young Flemish boy named Nello and his companion, a dog named Patrasche. Also included in this collection: ’The Nürnberg Stove, ’ a story about a young boy’s 3-day journey hidden inside a stove; ’In the Apple Country’ about a lovable but feisty young Italian girl who finds herself in the English countryside; and ’The Little Earl, ’ a story about a young earl who runs away from his palace to explore his kingdom.