Oliver Herford (1863 - 1935) was a British born American writer, artist and illustrator who has been called "The American Oscar Wilde". As a frequent contributor to The Mentor, Life, and Ladies' Home Journal, he sometimes signed his artwork as "O Herford". In 1906 he wrote and illustrated the "Little Book of Bores". He also wrote short poems like "The Chimpanzee" and "The Hen", as well as writing and illustrating "The Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten" (1904) and "Excuse It Please" (1930). His sister Beatrice Herford was also a humorist. Ethel Mumford and Addison Mizner wrote a small book "The Cynic's Calendar...of 1903" as a Christmas present and added Herford's name as an author as a joke. The printer made up more copies to sell and to everyone's surprise it was an astounding success. When Herford found out about it he wanted 90% of the royalties. He was awarded an equal third[1][2]. With pictures by the author, published by Charles Scribner's Sons:[3] With John Cecil Clay: With Addison Mizner and Ethel Mumford