These are tales to be savored, and not devoured in one sitting, as I was almost tempted to do. Sometimes, being indulgent means not being a gluttony gourmand, but a discriminating gourmet. And so, every other evening or so, I tenderly nibble one—just one—of the stories with such fanciful and imaginative titles as "The Christmas Truants", "The Griffin and the Minor Canon", "The Clocks of Rondaine", and "Christmas Before Last; or the Fruit of the Fragile Palm". I like the Christmas stories the best; there is something about Stockton's straightforward style that brings up vivid childhood memories of the Holiday. Each story is, indeed, a veritable feast.

Some children's books and their writers, unlike fleeting bubbles and airy rice cakes, do have the capacity to withstand the tests, trials, and tribulations of time. They are enjoyable to read, yet subtly instruct. The stories are written in such a way that once started, the reader just cannot put them down. Each one has that certain eternal essence of good literature that lasts almost forever, enabling children throughout the ages to indulge in the greater pleasure of reading, well into adulthood. Just like the fanciful and fun tales of Frank Stockton.