Saki was the pseudonym of short story writer Hector Hugh Munro. He adopted the name in 1900, and it's believed to have been taken from a character from the works of the Persian poet, Omar Khayyam. Most famous for his short stories, Saki also wrote novels and many articles of journalism. He remains an important figure in the tradition of modern English writers, although his politics and ideas may seem somewhat distant to us today. He left stories such as Tobermory, about a cat that learns to talk and can't be made to shut up. Or The Music on the Hill, about a woman who offends the god Pan and suffers the consequences. Or The Hounds of Fate, about a man who thinks he's outwitted his destiny only to find it closing in on him from an unexpected direction. These stories are cut-glass beauties, pitiless and hard-edged and constantly poking fun at the pretensions of the middle and upper classes. At 43 years old, and well after his writing career had taken off, Saki volunteered to enlist during World War I. He demanded to be a soldier, and he refused to allow injury or illness to keep him from the battlefield. He was killed by a German sniper in November 1916. His famous last words were: ''Put that bloody cigarette out.'' Listen online to free English audiobook "Cupboard of Yesterdays” on our website to experience Saki's work.