Showing results by author "O'Henry" in All Categories

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.

O. Henry was a prolific American short-story writer - a masterof surprise endings - who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New YorkCity. In "The Gift of the Magi," one of his best-known works, a young coupleat Christmas time who, despite having little money, buy secret gifts for eachother. A moral lesson on the importance of love and sacrifice, "The Gift of theMagi" has been adapted to film more than a dozen times throughout the world.

A thoroughly engaging collection of great classic tales by the very best American authors. 1. 'From Beyond' by H. P. Lovecraft 2. 'The Mysterious Card and the Card Unveiled' by Cleveland Moffett 3. 'Pigs Is Pigs' by Ellis Parker Butler 4. 'The Club of One-Eyed Men' by Arthur Somers Roche 5. 'Afterward' by Edith Wharton 6. 'The Furnished Room' by O. Henry 7. 'A Descent into the Maelström' by Edgar Allan Poe 8. 'Regret' by Kate Chopin 9. 'The Terrible Old Man' by H. P. Lovecraft 10. 'The Dumb Man' by Sherwood Anderson

First published in The Saturday Evening Post, "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a humorous short story written in 1910 by O. Henry. A pair of con men kidnap and attempt to ransom a prominent Alabama citizen’s son. Immediately they find themselves at the mercy of a particularly spoiled and clever boy who begins driving them mad. The ironic ending remains the story’s most enduring feature.

Four favorite tales from the pen of American short-story writer O. Henry that burst with his humor, pathos, and endearing observations on children, the poor, and dogs! In this collection: “The Ransom of Red Chief” (two kidnappers hatch a plot and get more than they bargain for!), “Memoirs of a Yellow Dog” (a put-upon pup and his master yearn for a better life), “The Cop and the Anthem” (all poor Soapy wanted was a warm bed for the winter), and “The Gift of the Magi” (the classic Christmas tale of love and giving from the heart).

The best of O. Henry's stories: "The Gift of the Magi", "The Voice of the City", "The Ransom of Red Chief", and more.

One of the greatest love stories ever! A couple struggling to make ends meet finds themselves with nothing with which to buy the other a Christmas gift. Through extreme personal sacrifice, they manage to give one another the best gift they - or anyone - could ever receive.

The Four Million was written in 1906 when roughly four million people lived in New York City. It opens with a reference to Ward McAllister's "assertion that there were only "400" people in New York City who were really worth noticing.

Originally published in a 1905 edition of The New York Sunday World, "The Gift of the Magi" tells the story of a young couple at Christmas when money is tight, offering important insight into the nature of gift giving. A well-known example of comic irony, it has been widely adapted as everything from an off-Broadway show to television episodes. This recording of "The Gift of the Magi" was recorded as part of Dreamscape's Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of Timeless Holiday Tales.

A short but wonderful story of Christmas. Dive into this heart-warming tale of two people in love; both are willing to make a personal sacrifice in order to provide happiness for the other.

Narrator Glenn Hascall magnificently captures the characters of this O. Henry short story about a Southern gentleman who still maintains the manners of the antebellum South although he is now living in a boardinghouse in Washington, D.C. Henry Hopkins Hargraves, an actor who also lives at the boardinghouse, befriends Major Pendleton Talbot, is apparently entranced by the Major's stories, and is happy to sit and listen for hours as Maj. Talbot rambles on. Of course O. Henry adds a wonderful twist to this humorous short story.

Classic Christmas Stories features seven timeless classics, including Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, A Christmas Dream and How it Came True by Louisa May Alcott, A Christmas Inspiration by Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, and The Three Kings by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Last Leaf is an endearing story about many forms of love and our interdependency upon one another and most importantly ourselves. In it a young woman dying from pneumonia despite the best efforts of her loving roommate, a doctor, and a mature resident in the building who has appointed himself guardian to the young lady and her housemate, soon learns that she is the key to her own life or death and in that discovery she helps a friend rise to their true greatness.

The magi, as you know, were wise men - wonderfully wise men - who brought gifts to the newborn King of the Jews in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. Read in English, unabridged.

Help Mr. Donovan comfort the grieving Miss Conway before learning her biggest secret yet!

Set in New York at the turn of the century, the story centers on a young couple that sacrifices their dearest possessions to buy each other Christmas gifts.

"The Cop and the Anthem" is a December 1904 short story by the United States author O. Henry. It includes several of the classic elements of an O. Henry story, including a setting in New York City, an empathetic look at the state of mind of a member of an underprivileged class, and an ironic ending. "The Cop and the Anthem" has only one character who is given a name, the protagonist "Soapy." It is made clear that Soapy is homeless, one of the underclass men and women who flocked to New York City during the earliest years of the twentieth century.

Thought by many to be the greatest Christmas story ever written. Award-winning narrator Mike Vendetti takes us to a shabby apartment where love rules. This is a Christmas story but worth a listen any time of the year.

Step into the captivating world of O. Henry, where wit and surprise intertwine in each story. This collection features a selection of the renowned author's most memorable tales, showcasing his signature twist endings and sharp observations of human nature. From heartwarming romances to clever comedies, O. Henry's stories offer a delightful exploration of life's ironies and intricacies.

These treasured stories from the most influential authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries are selected for their literary importance as well as their dramatic, oral qualities. Listen to these 10 unabridged classics by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, O. Henry, and Willa Cather.