The seven stories in this collection are brilliant examples of the bizarre and the wholly unexpected world that Roald Dahl, `that great magician` (Spectator), made his own. It includes not only the trademark dark humour and otherworldly goings-on of "The Swan" and "The Boy Who Talked With Animals", but a fascinating short essay on how he started writing, his first ever story, "A Piece of Cake", and the delightfully surprising title tale of a rich young idler who develops a most remarkable ability. Reading them, you`ll find that people are far stranger than even you suspected ...