written in 1914 but not published until 1925 a year after kafkas death the trial is the terrifying tale of josef k a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge about which he can get no information whether read as an existential tale a parable or a prophecy of the excesses of modern bureaucracy wedded to the madness of totalitarianism the trial has resonated with chilling truth for generations of readers nursery magic is very strange and wonderful and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the skin horse understand all about itlike the skin horse margery williams understood how toysand peoplebecome real through the wisdom and experience of love this reissue of a favorite classic with the original story and illustrations as they first appeared in 1922 will work its magic for all who read it