Of all the short stories I was ever assigned, The Ransom of Red Chief is by far the most humorous, entertaining, and memorable. The story was written by O. Henry – a pseudonym for William Sydney Porter, a Southerner born during the Civil war who moved to Texas and had a very colorful life. A performer and humor writer of great regard, O. Henry may have honed his knowledge of the kidnappers in this story during his 3 year stint in an Ohio federal penitentiary. He had landed there, after being caught as a fugitive, accused of bank fraud and embezzlement (several articles on his life insist he was SLOPPY but not a criminal.) This marvelous story has a wonderful twist as do many O. Henry stories. I’d say read “in” it but at about 16 pages, it is a short read and well worth the effort. Children of all ages will love hearing it read out loud. Happy summer reading…
dispatchfromthecave 