Frank R. Stockton was an American writer and humorist who lived from 1834 to 1902. He was best known for a series of innovative children's fairy tales that were widely popular during the last decades of the 19th century. Stockton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent much of his life in the Philadelphia area. While he wrote a variety of stories and novels for both children and adults, his fairy tales, which often featured unusual twists and endings, became his most enduring legacy.