A classic piece of French short fiction, 'The Etruscan Vase' is here presented alongside three other stories: 'The Vision of Charles XI', a dark tale of premonition set in the Swedish royal palace, 'Tamango', an account of a slave-ship revolt, and 'The Blue Room', a supernatural farce and one of Mérimée's final works; as well as two non-fiction pieces: 'A Hanging', a description of a real-life public execution, and 'H.B.' a tribute to the writer Stendhal.