• The Ransom of Red Chief

  • By: O. Henry
  • Narrated by: Michael Pearl
  • Length: 29 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)

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The Ransom of Red Chief  By  cover art

The Ransom of Red Chief

By: O. Henry
Narrated by: Michael Pearl
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Publisher's summary

First published in The Saturday Evening Post, "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a humorous short story written in 1910 by O. Henry. A pair of con men kidnap and attempt to ransom a prominent Alabama citizen’s son. Immediately they find themselves at the mercy of a particularly spoiled and clever boy who begins driving them mad. The ironic ending remains the story’s most enduring feature.

Public Domain (P)2019 Brook Forest Voices

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What listeners say about The Ransom of Red Chief

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I love this story!

It really shows the differences in children's vocabulary in literature today verses then. Great story! Energetic, funny, and written from the perspective of the criminal.

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1 person found this helpful