'A Retrieved Reformation' first appeared in 'Cosmopolitan Magazine' in April 1903. This short story is believed to be inspired by the author’s own experiences after his release from prison. The main character, Jimmy Valentine, is a skilled thief capable of opening any lock, no matter how complicated. After a few robberies post-release, Jimmy travels to Elmore, Arkansas, where he falls in love with a girl, the daughter of a wealthy banker. He adopts the name Ralph D. Spencer and opens a shoe store, hoping to marry Annabel Adams, the banker’s daughter. However, detective Ben Price has caught wind of Jimmy’s identity and follows him to Elmore to capture him. During a demonstration of a new vault designed to keep burglars out, a young girl gets accidentally locked inside, and the vault won’t open. As detective Price waits outside to arrest Jimmy, he sees a chance to expose himself. Jimmy decides to reveal his true identity and saves the girl from the vault, then walks toward the detective, ready to be arrested. But Ben Price looks at him with a strange expression and says, 'You’ve made a mistake...' The detective turns away and walks down the street toward a waiting carriage.
A Retrieved Reformation
Illustration (Source: Internet)2. The Church with an Overshot-Wheel
This short story is often considered 'a fairy tale'. O. Henry’s extraordinary ability to capture the essence of a scene is wonderfully displayed in this tale: the 'joy of the sloping pine forests draped in shadow, the solemnity of the barren mountain slopes, the golden glow of dreamy afternoons', or the sound and raw scent of the stream, the sweet song of a meadowlark...
The Church with an Overshot-Wheel
Illustration (Source: Internet)A story blending elements of wildness, rebellious spirit, heroic valor, and deep compassion. First published in the New York World on December 20, 1903, it tells the tale of Lena, a young girl, and Fritz Bergmann, a brave mailman. Fritz faces numerous dangers and confronts bandits to deliver Lena's desperate letter to her mother. The bandits leave him with a mule-drawn cart, and when he arrives at Lena’s home, he, along with her parents, finds her lying in the back of the cart. She claims that a young prince and his companion came to rescue her. Who was this prince, and how did Lena end up in the cart? These remain a mystery to the townspeople of Fredericksburg, where Lena's family lives.
A Chaparral Prince
Illustration (Source: Internet)Considered one of the greatest Christmas short stories of all time, this tale follows a young, impoverished couple who secretly buy each other Christmas gifts. In an act of selflessness, the wife sells her beautiful hair to buy her husband a chain for his prized pocket watch, while the husband sells his watch to buy a set of combs for his wife’s hair. When they exchange their gifts, the wife no longer has her long hair to use the combs, and the husband no longer has his watch to pair with the chain. Despite this, they sit down to dinner, filled with joy over the unexpected love reflected in their gifts. First published in April 1906, this heartwarming story has since become a beloved Christmas classic, retold every holiday season. It’s a perfect read for Christmas time!
The Gift of the Magi
Illustration (Source: Internet)'The Last Leaf' is a short story by the American author O. Henry, first published in 1907 as part of the collection 'The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories.' It has since been included in literature textbooks worldwide to introduce foreign literature. The story takes place in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, where two young female artists, Sue and Johnsy, live in a boarding house. They are joined by Behrman, an elderly artist who has always dreamed of creating a masterpiece but has yet to do so. That winter, Johnsy falls seriously ill with pneumonia. As her condition worsens, she becomes hopeless, believing that when the last ivy leaf falls from the vine outside her window, she will die. Sue desperately cares for her but cannot change Johnsy’s mind. Upon learning of Johnsy’s thoughts, Behrman scolds her at first but then secretly stays up through a stormy night to paint the last leaf on the vine. The painted leaf does not fall, giving Johnsy the hope to live and create again. She recovers, but Behrman dies from pneumonia after his selfless act of creating the masterpiece that saved her. Sue quietly informs Johnsy of Behrman’s death and the secret behind the last leaf. 'The Last Leaf' is a story full of compassion and optimism, reflecting O. Henry's deep humanitarian spirit and his empathetic view of life and humanity.
Illustration (Source: Internet)6. The Cop and the Anthem
'The Cop and the Anthem' is part of O. Henry’s short story collection 'The Last Leaf.' This hilarious tale will make you laugh and cry as it follows Xopy, a homeless man who desperately wants to be arrested and spend the winter in jail to avoid the cold. He tries everything to get caught: stealing a meal at a fancy restaurant, breaking a store window, causing public disturbances, and even pretending to be a lecherous man harassing women. But every attempt fails. It’s not until he hears a church hymn while walking through a park that he realizes his dream of going to jail is absurd. Inspired, he decides to turn his life around by finding honest work. Just then, a cop arrests him, suspecting him of theft, and he is sentenced to three months in prison. O. Henry’s story highlights a humanitarian desire for a fair society, where a person’s genuine desire to improve their life isn’t hindered by injustice.
Illustration (Source: Internet)7. The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock
Written in 1906, this story revolves around the Prince of Valleluna, a young man with everything one could ever wish for, yet dressed in rags, his appearance disheveled, sitting on a shabby bench in a park. One day, he meets a troubled young man with an issue involving a clock and the girl he loves. The Prince, moved by compassion, tries to help, but the young man refuses to share his story. Eventually, the Prince persuades him to open up. The young man had proposed to a woman, but she gave him a challenge: if he could see a handkerchief hung in the middle window of the top floor, she would marry him. If not, he was to forget her. The young man, desperate, sees the clock on the tower in the park moving fast and runs to catch the last chance. The next morning, the Prince is found asleep, and a police officer wakes him from his slumber, revealing the story’s unexpected twist.
The Caliph, Cupid, and the ClockSet in real-life New York, this short story, published in 'The Four Million' in 1906, revolves around a reunion between two friends, Jimmy Wells and Silky Bob, after twenty years. Over time, people change. Jimmy has become a police officer, while his old friend, Bob, has turned into a wanted criminal from Chicago. The twist in the story makes it one of O. Henry's most beloved tales. To understand how it all unfolds, you’ll have to read the full story.
After Twenty Years is one of O. Henry's most cherished short stories.
After Twenty Years
Illustration (Source: Internet)This short story was first published in August 1904 in "The New York World" and later included in O. Henry’s 1906 collection, "The Four Million". It is highly regarded by critics as one of his most literarily valuable works.
The tale revolves around a seemingly perfect room, described with "frayed carpets, child handprints on the walls, stains scattered about; scratched and dented furniture…"—a room that the landlady, Mrs. Purdy, claims is the height of comfort. A young man rents this room, hoping to find the woman he loves. He lies on the carpet and catches a faint whiff of mignonette—the distinctive fragrance of the woman he once adored. He searches the room for any sign of her, but to no avail.
He once again seeks out Mrs. Purdy, hoping to confirm whether the woman had previously rented the room. But she denies it, stating there was no girl with a mole on her left eyebrow. The young man, devastated, leaves. That night, as per usual, Mrs. Purdy drinks beer with other landladies. She confides to a friend how clever she was to rent out the third-floor room to the young man—where a girl with a mole on her left eyebrow had once tragically taken her life using a gas lamp on the bed.
The Furnished Room
Illustration (Source: Internet)
Buzz
