“The Ransom of Red Chief” Dramatized

O. Henry is the pseudonym of American author William Sydney Porter, who is best known for his funny, warm, short stories with surprise endings. In the video below, Shep O’Neal does a fine dramatic reading of “The Ransom of Red Chief,” one of O. Henry’s most memorable works.

If you would like to read along as you listen, you can find the full text of “The Ransom of Red Chief” here on our site.

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If you found this dramatization of O. Henry’s The Ransom of Red Chief to be helpful in visualizing the story and characters, you may enjoy some of our other Introduction to Literature (E1) videos. You may also want to check out our additional resources for O. Henry:

• Read our O. Henry Biography
• Read a 1909 New York Times interview with O. Henry.
• The O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas, offers the annual O. Henry Pun-Off, as well as information about the early life of William Sydney Porter (O. Henry). The museum is located at 409 East 5th Street Austin, TX 78701.
• Read “The Ransom of Red Chief“ in text form
• Read “Hearts and Hands” in text form

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You’ll study O. Henry as part of EIL 1.1 (Short Stories)