The prudent husbandman, after having taken from his field all the straw that is there, rakes it over with a wooden rake and gets as much again. The wise child, after the lemonade jug is empty, takes the lemons from the bottom of it and squeezes them into a still larger brew. So does the sagacious author, after having sold his material to the magazines and been paid for it, clap it into book-covers and give it another squeeze. But in the present case the author is of a nice conscience and anxious to place responsibility where it is due. He therefore wishes to make all proper acknowledgments to the editors of Vanity Fair, The American Magazine, The Popular Magazine, Life, Puck, The Century, Methuen's Annual, and all others who are in any way implicated in the making of this book. -- STEPHEN LEACOCK

Author Biography

Stephen P. H. Butler Leacock (1869 - 1944) was a Canadian teacher, political scientist, writer and humorist. Between the years 1915 and 1925, he was the best-known English-speaking humorist in the world. He is known for his light humor along with criticisms of people's follies. The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor was named in his honor. Early in his career, Leacock turned to fiction, humor and short reports to supplement (and ultimately exceed) his regular income. His stories, first published in magazines in Canada and the United States and later in novel form, became extremely popular around the world. It was said in 1911 that more people had heard of Stephen Leacock than had heard of Canada. Also, between the years 1915 and 1925, Leacock was the most popular humorist in the English-speaking world.