“The Ransom of Red Chief” may be the most widely read story
in grammar, middle, and high school. Young people can relate to 10-year-old Red
Chief, his father who makes the kidnappers pay him back in order to take Red
Chief off their hands (plus come in darkness so others don’t jail them), and
all the antics and excitement of it all. It is not read or heard widely after
one leaves high school, which is a shame, because it is such a magical story
about expectations being crushed by realities, and the turn of events, which O.
Henry was so masterful at achieving, as in “The Gift of the Magi,” the other
best known O. Henry story, which Simply has also recorded.
The humor here is Southwestern style, with some of the
violence similar to that frontier humor immortalized by Mark Twain. O. Henry
spent time in Texas on various speculations and, in fact, wound up in a Texas
jail for three years before coming to New York and prospering with his unique
storytelling ability. The Texas influence is strongly felt here, not just in
Southwestern humor, but the sense of space and vistas, with few people
populating them.
A final thought for the listener: Is there anyone similar to
O. Henry in style? We can’t think of anyone, and that is another reason to
listen to these stories. We believe most Southwestern humor in short stories is
even better heard than read.
As with all Simply short stories, you should enjoy the ideas
put forth in the introduction and afterword.
Download and start listening now!