More popular in their day than Don Quixote, Cervantes's Exemplary Stories (1613) surprise, challenge and delight. Ranging from the picaresque to the satirical, the Exemplary Stories defy the conventions of heroic literature through a combination of comic irony, moral ambiguity, realism, and sheer mirth. This new translation captures the full vigour of Cervantes's wit and makes available two rarely printed gems, `The Illustrious Kitchen Maid' and `The Power of Blood'. Contains: The Little Gypsy Girl; The Jealous Old Man from Extremadura; The Glass Graduate; Rinconete and Cortadillo; The Deceitful Marriage; The Dialogue of The Dogs; The Illustrious Kitchen Maid; The Power of Blood