Frank R. Stockton

Frank Richard Stockton (1834–1902) was an American writer and humorist. Trained as a wood engraver in Philadelphia, he turned to writing and worked for many years as an editor of the children's magazine St. Nicholas. His fairy tales and comic stories for children, such as The Griffin and the Minor Canon, were followed by humorous novels for adults, among them Rudder Grange and The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine. He is best remembered for his short story The Lady, or the Tiger?, published in 1882, whose open ending made him famous.