Something Childish and Other Stories

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.


Most of the stories and sketches in this collection were written in the
years between the publication of Katherine Mansfield's first book, "In a
German Pension," in 1911 and the publication of her second, "Bliss and
other Stories," in 1920. There are a few exceptions. The first story, The
Tiredness of Rosabel, was written in 1908 when Katherine Mansfield was
nineteen years old, and the three stories following also were written
before "In a German Pension" was published: while Sixpence and Poison
were written after Bliss had appeared. Sixpence was excluded from "The
Garden-Party and Other Stories" by Katherine Mansfield because she
thought it "sentimental"; Poison was excluded because I thought it was
not wholly successful. I have since changed my mind: it now seems to me a
little masterpiece.

I have no doubt that Katherine Mansfield, were she still alive, would not
have suffered some of these stories to appear. When she was urged to
allow "In a German Pension" to be republished, she would always reply:
"Not now; not yet--not until I have a body of work done and it can be
seen in perspective. It is not true of me now: I am not like that any
more. When the time for a collected edition comes--" she would end,
laughing. The time has come.

The stories are arranged in chronological order.