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

The Gift of the Magi: A Special Christmas Edition - Includes Candle-Making Tutorial and Exclusive Audiobook! In The Gift of the Magi, O. Henry weaves an exciting and touching narrative that encapsulates the true spirit of Christmas. At a time when one dollar and eighty-seven cents are all that Della has to buy a gift for her beloved Jim, this story takes us on a journey of love, sacrifice, and generosity.

Trying to make some fast cash, two small-time crooks devise a plan to kidnap the son of a wealthy family in a village and hold him for ransom. When the kidnapped boy pulls out his Hong Hou (“Red Monkey”) costume, the two burglars realize they may be in for more than they planned. As their ransom notes remain unanswered and their scheme starts to drag on, the two crooks find out for themselves how a child's imagination can spell disaster for two inexperienced criminal minds.

An enthralling collection of creepy and mysterious stories. From classic detective stories to spine-tingling horror and scary ghost stories, these tales will make your flesh crawl.... 1. 'A Ghost Story' by Mark Twain. 2. 'The Silver Mask' by Hugh Walpole. 3. 'The Cactus' by O. Henry. 4. 'Dead of Night' by W. F. Harvey. 5. 'The Terrible Old Man' by H. P. Lovecraft. 6. 'Rattle of Bones' by Robert E. Howard. 7. 'The Last Leaf' by O. Henry. 8. 'The Magnet' by Barry Pain. 9. 'Pickman’s Model' by H. P. Lovecraft.

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.

O. Henry wove several stories together into this highly episodic narrative, taking his title and inspiration from Lewis Carroll's ballad of the walrus and the carpenter in Through the Looking-Glass. The stories are set in the fictional country of Anchuria in Central America, a banana republic where larceny is rampant and revolution lurking in every impoverished back alley. O. Henry offers a cutting satire of contemporary politics and prejudices.

Based on O. Henry's endearing tale. Once three wise men came bearing gifts. Now a light dust of snow quiets the city streets. Christmas was upon a young couple whose sharing of lives together had just begun. A gift was needed and only a dollar and eighty-seven cents had been saved. Can the joy, the dreams, the hope for the future, the burning flame of love, be adequately expressed with only a dollar and eighty-seven cents?

Echoes of the Frontier gathers thirteen unforgettable tales by literary giants such as Jack London, Willa Cather, Mark Twain, and Bret Harte—each story capturing a different facet of life at the edge of civilization. From the perilous ride of The Denver Express to the poetic solitude of On the Divide, and from the chilling desperation of Love of Life to the dry wit of Nevada Sketches, these stories illuminate the grit, dreams, and humanity of those who dared to tame the wild.

5 CLASSIC CHRISTMAS STORIES features five popular and heartwarming holiday stories, including THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING, THE GIFT OF THE MAGI, THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER, THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL, and ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

Whether you are an individual or an organization, you have what it takes to weaken and even destroy the power of any fear. Neutralizing the Power of Fear shows how Christian counseling can help you neutralize worries and discover and pursue a path to hope and genuine happiness. A minister and a counselor for more than twenty-five years, Dr. Casalnnie O. Henry discusses the origins and true definition of fear and explores the immense power that fear holds over the human race.

Like a sweet box of assorted Holiday candy, this set has something to appeal to all tastes from the littlest listeners to grown-ups and those in between. Enjoy these tales as a family on car trips to Auntie's house or over the river and through the woods to Grandma's. The stories will add to the spirit of the season whether you are feeling like Santa or Scrooge.

Действие разворачивается в небольшом американском городке, где двое мошенников, Билл и Сэм, задумывают похитить сына богатого местного жителя ради выкупа. Однако их планы переворачиваются с ног на голову, когда выясняется, что их маленький пленник, называющий себя Вождём Краснокожих, принимает их действия за увлекательную игру.

«Персональный магнетизм» ― очередной блестящий рассказ О. Генри, выдающегося американского писателя, прославившегося короткими произведениями, которые отличаются насмешливой иронией, неожиданными финалами и оригинальными поворотами сюжета. Слушая эту историю, вы узнаете, как находчивый мастер афер Джефф Питерс и его партнёр по жульничеству Энди Таккер зарабатывают деньги, устроив перед мэром небольшого городка замысловатое представление с арестом фальшивого целителя.

Джефф Питерс и Энди Таккер никогда не были достойны доверия. Однажды они решили провернуть одну аферу в сфере матримониальных услуг, чтобы заработать лёгкие деньги. Начали они с того, что написали объявление для публикации в газетах о том, что очаровательная вдова в возрасте тридцати двух лет, обладающая капиталом в три тысячи долларов и владеющая обширным поместьем, хотела бы повторно выйти замуж; рядом с собой ей хотелось бы видеть мужчину с любящим сердцем, который умеет заботиться о собственности и разумно вкладывать деньги.

In this delightfully tangled tale of wit, ego, and legal entanglements, O. Henry serves up a razor-sharp satire of matrimonial mischief and mistaken identity. Meet Lawyer Gooch, a shrewd legal mind with a taste for theatrical metaphors and a knack for keeping his office “compartments” watertight—especially when handling the explosive dramas of divorce. But when three strangers arrive, each spinning a “hypothetical” tale involving the same runaway wife, a suave suitor, and a weary husband, Gooch finds himself navigating a shipwreck of schemes, secrets, and social pretensions.

Cherokee has struck it rich, and he decides to make Christmas extra special for the children of a nearby town. Unfortunately, there ARE no children in the nearby town. When the appreciative townspeople try to round up some kids from the surrounding towns, they inadvertently set the stage for a Christmas miracle for Cherokee.

When two friends reunite after a twenty-year absence, the limits of friendship become evident. Painting two distinct portraits of people who have grown apart, O. Henry explores themes of friendship, loyalty and trust. In Mammon and the Archer, the pursuit of love, and the love of money go head-to-head for dominance in a timely engagement. Famous for his unexpected plot twists, O. Henry was not only a master at the craft of writing the short story, but explored deep themes that still resonate today.

Art and life. Each the mirror of the other. This then is the classic definition of what ‘Realism’ as a writing form really is. Some might call it a fancy term for the mundane day to day pursuits but in the hands of an author it comes alive. We are drawn into characters and landscapes that we can empathize with, we can, metaphorically speaking, help shoulder their burden, be on the long trail with them whatever the landscapes, the hurdles, incidents and other people may place in their literary way.

A compilation of popular short stories from American literature narrated by professional voice actor Jake Phillips.

William Sydney Porter was born on 11th September 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. At age 3 his mother died from tuberculosis. From an early age it was clear Porter had a large appetite for reading as he absorbed the world around him. In December 1899, in McClure’s Magazine, he published a short story as O. Henry.

Christmas may come but once a year but human emotions, the driving force of our characters, are with us every day. Yet, somehow these same emotions when they happen at Christmas seem amplified; we seem more tender to their touch, their words. Whether it’s a long-lost returning soldier wondering how best to return to the arms of his family without too great a risk of shock... Or a prodigal son whose taken path has driven pain into his own and others hearts… These stories reveal much about the human condition.