The gilded bat Reiss.

With his typical dark, droll humor, Edward Gorey tells how Maudie, a girl given to staring at dead birds, is transformed into Mirella, a chic and mysterious prima ballerina. This woeful tale chronicles her ascent to the peak of fame, followed by her unexpected and dreadful demise. Gorey's exquisitely crafted illustrations of magical ballets, dubious barons, and stark apartments set the stage for this lonely drama of a slightly peculiar heroine.