Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Short Stories

This short fable is a testament to believing in something enough to die for your belief. In this case, the belief rested in the heart of a nightingale. To the bird, true love is worth more than philosophy, wisdom, and even life.

"Afterward" is a psychological ghost story of the Victorian era. This is no modern horror tale, but one that was very popular at a time when a shiver and some things to think about were what was expected of the horror genre. Wharton's beautiful prose, as read by professional actor Sara Morsey, will delight and thrill. Sit back and enjoy!

Do you believe in ghosts? You might reconsider if you don't after listening to this story of a man haunted by a longtime enemy.

When men are plotting to assassinate European leaders, some take justice into their own hands. A train never makes it to its destination, in this short story penned in the 1890's.

When the "good doctor" is found dead, there is a trial and surprises await, with an ending you could not predict.

A man tries to save his brother, mixed up in a scam, and the calamity that befalls them. Written in 1898 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

A man is hired by a British gentleman because of his strength, his medical degree, and his extreme knowledge of beetles.

"The Monkey's Paw" is a supernatural short story by author W. W. Jacobs first published in England in 1902. Three wishes are granted to the owner of the monkey's paw, but the wishes come with an enormous price for interfering with fate.

Poker Flat is cleaning house. John Oakhurst is allowed to leave of his own accord along with a few others who didn’t quite match society’s ideals. Maybe they got off good. Others had been hung from nearby sycamore trees. Who was good? Who was bad? Who was innocent? Questions to ponder as you listen to this classic short story narrated by Glenn Hascall.

A comedy of misunderstandings and idealism. Mr. Moorehouse arrived at the train station to claim his baggage and other items. He believed he was being overcharged, but Mr. Flannery wouldn't budge. In time Mr. Flannery wished he had. A fun listen from start to finish. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Ambrose Bierce dabbled very often in stories about ghosts. This story starts with a duel, a bet of sorts, to stay in a haunted house, and ends up a tragic joke. People regularly die of fear in Bierce stories, so beware as you listen to this story masterfully told by Markham Anderson.

Was it a case of a true gentleman in the old west? Or are the charms of a pioneer woman enough to blind the eyes of a love-struck cowpoke? A strong dose of mutual deceit, but only one knew the truth. A classic story that leaves you to determine who was the kinder. Narrated by Glenn Hascall.

Bret Harte paints a timeless portrait of undesirables who are forced to leave a self-righteous town, and who, in the face of oncoming winter and in the company of a pair of innocents, learn to become bigger than themselves.

Narrator Glenn Hascall magnificently captures the characters of The Gift of the Magi, a short story written by O. Henry, about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money.

Narrator and actor Glenn Hascall does a masterful job creating Edgar Allen Poe's madman endeavoring to convince the listener of his sanity while describing the murder he committed.

The Communists never have a chance. They are prepared to fight with atomic weapons. The U.S. instead uses... Dolliver Wims, history's first recorded person capable of turning other people accident-prone. Wims is a walking disaster who never gets caught in the shambles he creates! With great good humor, Sabia turns his lens on what might have happened had the Cold War gone hot!

In Gold Rush-era California, Jim Smiley, a minor who loves to gamble and will bet on anything, obtains a frog. Sniley spends three months training this talented amphibian athlete to become a champion jumper. Smiley finds his mark in the form of a stranger who comes to town and shows an interest in the frog, and would love to bet but if he could find his own frog. "No problem, you hold my frog and I'll go find a frog for you." When hustler meets hustler, the results can be interesting. You might say Smiley didn't know his frog was loaded.

Lois, a beautiful 19-year-old young woman travels to Baltimore to meet Harold, her love interest, as they consider a breakup. We never meet Harold; instead, the short story becomes more about Catholicism and the priesthood, as Lois first spends an afternoon with Keith, her 36-year-old brother, a seminarian in a Jesuit monastery. Lois and Keith have not seen one another for 16 years, so it is an extremely interesting reunion.

Bill Driscoll and Sam (we never learn his last name), a pair of turn-of-the-20th-century con men embark on quite an adventure. The pair need $2,000.00 to pull off a fraudulent town-lot scam in Western Illinois. They decide to kidnap the only son of a prominent Alabama citizen in the small town of Summit. They should've known when they grabbed their target, who was at the time throwing stones at a kitten, that it would be best to leave him alone. Particularly after he beans Bill with a brick. The situation does not improve with time. O Henry, famous for his humor, plays on words, and plot twists makes this a highly amusing short story.

This short story by O. Henry depicts the plight of a homeless person, Soapy, living in New York at the turn of the last century. A park bench is fine during the summer, but winter comes and Soapy needs a winter home. God willing to pay the price of philanthropy, Soapy determines to spend the winter months in jail. Now the problem is how to be arrested.