The fifth volume of the Complete Stories presents the prose works created by Hesse between the ages of 30 and 40, in the order of their emergence, alongside the novels Rosshalde and Demian. Most of these works (except for Lake Night, The Bride, and The House of Dreams) have been included by the author in his books. Autobiographical pieces, such as Wandertag, The Night Peacock, and the stories concluding the Gerbersau cycle, The Cyclone and Author's Evening, alternate with fictional depictions like Father Matthias, The World Improver, Robert Aghion, and the critically reflective parodies published under pseudonyms during World War I. A highlight of the volume is the story In the Pressel Garden House, which describes an outing of the ailing Hölderlin with his young admirers, the Tübingen theology student Wilhelm Waiblinger, with both knowledgeable and congenial empathy.