Fantastic Fables Author:Ambrose Bierce 245 "fantastic fables from the bitter pen of Ambrose Bierce fill this little volume to overflowing with a rich feast of Bierce's misanthropy. Bierce didn't miss a thing: greedy politicians, not so pious holy men, poets, poodles - all fall under close scrutiny. Called the "American Swift", Bierce is one of the rare masters of the fable.