SALIS (Rodolphe). Tales of the Black Cat. Winter *. Preface by Philippe Gille. Prologue by A. Willette. Paris : at the illustrated bookshop, [1888]. Tales of the Black Cat. Spring **. Preface by Francisque Sarcey. Paris: E. Dentu, 1891. - 2 volumes in-8, 221 x 140 : (2 ff.), VI, 304 pp., illustrated cover; XI, 328 pp., illustrated cover. Half calf in green marbled leather with corners, cold filleted, smooth spine decorated with a black cat sitting on a gilt mantel, and a title coin in Havana morocco with a half moon crescent mosaic , untrimmed, spine untrimmed, cover preserved (early 20th century binding). Original edition of the only two volumes out of the four planned. It is the reunion in volumes of the tales that Rodolphe Salis (1851-1897), the famous cabaret owner, creator in 1885 of the no less famous cabaret Le Chat noir, had published every Sunday from 1882 in his newspaper Le Chat noir. These two volumes contain a total of 34 tales written in "old language", in Rabelaisian spelling , in the manner of Balzac's Contes drôlatiques. Each volume is illustrated with a beautiful full-colour cover by George Auriol, as well as numerous compositions in text and full-page spreads by Adolphe Willette, Loÿs, Henri Rivière, Henri Pille, Henry Somm, Albert Robida, Fernand Fau, Steinlen, Sabattier, St-Maurice , George Auriol, Rœdel, Vincent, Uzès and Heidbrinck. Both volumes bear a beautiful autograph copy of the author addressed respectively to the writer and playwright Jules de Marthold (1847-1927) for the first volume, and to the journalist, art critic and founding member of the École de Nancy Émile Goutière-Vernolle (1855-1927), for the second. They are worded as follows:A nostre bon amy le seigneur // Jules de Marthold - gracieulx gentilhomme // from the noble païs des lettres françaises // I offer as a sign of great friendship // to a devoted companion of the first // times of the Black Cat //