The Ransom of Red Chief

Written by O. Henry

Narrated by Cathy Dobson

O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862 – 1910), an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are loved for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings.

"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a tale of a kidnapping. A couple of desparadoes abduct the ten year old son of the richest man in a village in the deep south. But the pair soon discover that they have taken on far more than they had bargained for. The boy's energy, curiosity, creativity, sense of mischief and total lack of respect for his kidnappers soon has him running rings around them. And it turns out, the boy is a chip off the old block. His father is by no means a soft touch for a ransom and offers them a deal which they cannot refuse....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Door Consulting
• Release date: Jul 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781467699099

O. Henry

O. Henry (1862-1910) was an American short story writer. Born and raised in North Carolina, O. Henry—whose real name was William Sydney Porter—moved to Texas in 1882 in search of work. He met and married Athol Estes in Austin, where he became well known as a musician and socialite. In 1888, Athol gave birth to a son who died soon after, and in 1889 a daughter named Margaret was born. Porter began working as a teller and bookkeeper at the First National Bank of Austin in 1890 and was fired four years later and accused of embezzlement. Afterward, he began publishing a satirical weekly called The Rolling Stone, but in 1895 he was arrested in Houston following an audit of his former employer. While waiting to stand trial, Henry fled to Honduras, where he lived for six months before returning to Texas to surrender himself upon hearing of Athol’s declining health. She died in July of 1897 from tuberculosis, and Porter served three years at the Ohio Penitentiary before moving to Pittsburgh to care for his daughter. While in prison, he began publishing stories under the pseudonym “O. Henry,” finding some success and launching a career that would blossom upon his release with such short stories as “The Gift of the Magi” (1905) and “The Ransom of Red Chief” (1907). He is recognized as one of America’s leading writers of short fiction, and the annual O. Henry Award—which has been won by such writers as William Faulkner, John Updike, and Eudora Welty—remains one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes.

Reviews for The Ransom of Red Chief

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Johnny turns out be a surprise package for the two men who kidnapped him, and he didn’t even come gift-wrapped. When the two bad guys make an offer they thought Johnny’s father couldn’t refuse, they discover the tables have been turned. For those who think being captive with someone else’s kid or maybe even their own is a challenge, then they haven’t read this tale, and they don’t know what a real challenge a kid can be. It’s a great story from beginning to end.

[reinadecopiaypega · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love it as much now as I did when I first read it about 40 odd years ago.