The Haunted Jester is a collection of short stories

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by Donald Corley

Donald Corley

Donald Corley was an American author of short stories, illustrator and architect. He is chiefly remembered for his three self-illustrated books, which included a number of classic fantasy short stories.-Life and career:...

, illustrated by the author. Corley did not limit himself to one genre, but the primary distinction of the collection is its inclusion of a number of classic dark fantasies

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 . It was first published in hardcover in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 by Robert M. McBride

Robert M. McBride

Robert Medill McBride was the publisher of James Branch Cabell and the later books of Frank Buck .-Early years:...

 in 1931. It was later reissued by Books for Libraries in 1970. The collection's importance in the history of fantasy literature was also recognized by the anthologization of one of its tales ("The Bird with the Golden Beak") by Lin Carter

Lin Carter

Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...

 in Discoveries in Fantasy

Discoveries in Fantasy

Discoveries in Fantasy is an anthology of fantasy short stories, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books in March 1972 as the forty-third volume of its celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series...

(1972), for the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series

Ballantine Adult Fantasy series

The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 , the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature, which were out of print or dispersed in back issues of pulp magazines , in cheap paperback form—including works...

.

Contents

• "Seven Knights in Silver"
• "The God from the Shelf"
• "The Dance of the Drowned"
• "The Red Lacquer Box of Nirr-lo-fan"
• "The Bride's Feast"
• "The Lama, the Lady, and the Topaz"
• "The Road to Benachie"
• "The Troubled Promises of Kings"
• "The Eyes of Compassion"
• "Que le Diable!"
• "The Daughter of the Moon"
• "Droit de Seigneur"
• "Fifteen Annas in the Rupee"
• "The Bird with the Golden Beak"