More Fables was published by Herbert S. Stone in 1900, capitalizing on the enormous success of Fables in Slang. The formula was identical — short satirical fables written in American slang, with capitalized character descriptions and italicized morals — but the targets had expanded. Ade now took aim at a wider range of American types: the social climber, the club bore, the self-made man, the culture vulture, and the tireless optimist.
The sequel sold well, though reviewers noted that the formula was beginning to show signs of strain. Ade’s genius was for the single perfect observation — the fable that captured a social type so precisely that it seemed definitive — and the sustained production of fables inevitably diluted the impact of the best ones.
Collecting More Fables
First edition (Herbert S. Stone, Chicago, 1900): Decorated cloth.
Market values:
- Fine condition: $60–$150
- Very good: $25–$60
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
More Fables (1900) followed quickly on the success of Fables in Slang, refining Ade’s method without fundamentally altering it. The Capitalised Types return (The Man Who Tried to Reform, The Woman Who Made the Best of Things), the italicised morals remain delightfully perverse, and Ade’s ear for American speech grows even sharper. The best fables in this collection are miniature masterpieces of social observation — three-page satires that expose the gulf between American self-image and American reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ade fall out of fashion? Ade’s slang was specifically turn-of-the-century American vernacular, and as the language changed, the jokes became opaque. By the 1920s, his dialect seemed quaint rather than cutting. His reputation has revived somewhat among scholars of American humor and linguistics, who recognise his ear for speech as genuinely remarkable.