Frank Richard Stockton (1834-1902) was an American writer and humorist, best known today for a series of innovative children"s fairy tales that were widely popular during the 19th century. His most famous fable is "The Lady, or the Tiger?" about a man sentenced to an unusual punishment for having a romance with a king"s beloved daughter. Stockton"s first major success arrived with the 1879 publication of Rudder Grange, a collection of stories based on a married couple and their servant.