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What are some short stories by 'O Henry'?

Updated: 8/18/2019
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  • "The Gift of the Magi" about a young couple who are short of money but desperately want to buy each other Christmas gifts. Unbeknownst to Jim, Della sells her most valuable possession, her beautiful hair, in order to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch; while unbeknownst to Della, Jim sells his own most valuable possession, his watch, to buy jeweled combs for Della's hair. The essential premise of this story has been copied, re-worked, parodied, and otherwise re-told countless times in the century since it was written.
  • "The Ransom of Red Chief", in which two men kidnap a boy of ten. The boy turns out to be so bratty and obnoxious that the desperate men ultimately pay the boy's father $250 to take him back.
  • "The Cop and the Anthem" about a New York City hobo named Soapy, who sets out to get arrested so he can avoid sleeping in the cold winter as a guest of the city jail. Despite efforts at petty theft, vandalism, disorderly conduct, and "mashing" with a young prostitute, Soapy fails to draw the attention of the police. Disconsolate, he pauses in front of a church, where an organ anthem inspires him to clean up his life - and is ironically charged for loitering and sentenced to three months in prison.
  • "A Retrieved Reformation", which tells the tale of safecracker Jimmy Valentine, recently freed from prison. He goes to a town bank to check it over before he robs it. As he walks to the door, he catches the eye of the banker's beautiful daughter. They immediately fall in love and Valentine decides to give up his criminal career. He moves into the town, taking up the identity of Ralph Spencer, a shoemaker. Just as he is about to leave to deliver his specialized tools to an old associate, a lawman who recognizes him arrives at the bank. Jimmy and his fiancée and her family are at the bank, inspecting a new safe, when a child accidentally gets locked inside the airtight vault. Knowing it will seal his fate, Valentine opens the safe to rescue the child. However, the lawman lets him go.
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Q: What are some short stories by 'O Henry'?
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How many short stories did O. Henry write?

O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter, wrote around 300 short stories during his career. He is best known for his wit and clever twist endings in works such as "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief."


A candy bar with the name of the famous writer of short stories?

A candy bar named "Poe's Peanuts" in reference to Edgar Allan Poe, a famous writer known for his macabre and suspenseful short stories.


What is o Henry contriution towards English litreature?

O. Henry is known for his short stories that feature ironic twists at the end. Some of his works are "The Last Leaf" and "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Ransom of Red Chief."


Who is father of short stories?

it will be an argument, Edgar Allen Poe or O Henry or Guy de Maupassant ,


What book did O Henry write?

O. Henry wrote almost 400 short stories. Some of them were collected in "Cabbages and Kings," and others in a collection called "The Four Million." He did not wrote any "stand alone" volumes such as a novel.


How many books did o Henry write?

O. Henry wrote approximately 381 short stories.


Who is O Henery?

O Henry was the pen name for William Sydney Porter. He is famous for short stories written during the 1800s. Two of his stories are favorites the Gift of the Magi and the Ransom of Red Chief.


What candy is named after a famous American author of short stories?

hersheys chocolate bar. named by Milton Hershey.


Are the stories by O Henry copyrighted?

No, O. Henry's works are in the public domain since he passed away in 1910, over 100 years ago. This means that anyone can use, publish, or adapt his stories without needing permission or worrying about copyright infringement.


What are some good stories?

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson anything by O. Henry anything by Jack Vance.


What do you win with the O Henry Awards?

The O. Henry Awards recognize outstanding short stories. Winners receive a cash prize and their work is included in the annual O. Henry Prize Stories anthology, giving them increased visibility and recognition in the literary world.


When O Henry began publishing his short stories few of his reading audience knew they he was writing from prison?

O. Henry started publishing short stories while in prison, using his real name, William Sydney Porter. Initially, his readers were unaware of his incarceration. His unique writing style and ability to capture the essence of life in New York City contributed to his popularity as a writer.