A Pad in the Straw

A PAD IN THE STRAW was first published fifty years ago in 1952. Long out of print, this new edition retains Lord David Cecil's Foreword to the original volume but now includes a Preface specially written by the author's son, Giles Woodforde, and an Afterword by Richard Dalby - making it the definitive edition of this oft-admired collection of 'strange tales for the connoisseur'. “We soon discovered that Dr. Woodforde had a natural flair for storytelling, especially weird and mysterious ones involving the supernatural, subtly different to the typical ghost story. So frightening were some of these stories that they found us burrowing even deeper into our beds. Before we left the school we implored him to write down the tales." Contents Foreword - Prefatory Note (A Pad in the Straw) • (1952) • essay by Lord David Cecil Preface (A Pad in the Straw) • essay by Giles Woodforde A Pad in the Straw • (1952) • short fiction Colin, Peter, and Philip • (1952) • short fiction Cushi • (1952) • short story Ex Libris • (1952) • short fiction Expert Devilry • (1952) • short fiction Goutté-de-Sang • (1952) • short fiction Hugh • (1952) • short fiction Jeremy • (1952) • short fiction Lost and Found • (1952) • short fiction Malcolm • (1952) • short fiction Michael • (1952) • short fiction Richard • (1952) • short story Robert and Andrew • (1952) • short fiction Roderick • (1952) • short fiction Sacrilege at St. George's • (1952) • short fiction The 'Doom' Window at Breckham • (1952) • short fiction The Chalk Pit • (1952) • short fiction The Mirror of Man's Damnation • (1952) • short fiction The Old Tithe Barn • (1952) • short fiction Tony, Ian, and Co. • (1952) • short fiction Afterword (A Pad in the Straw) • essay by Richard Dalby