O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862 - 1910), an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are loved for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings.

"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a tale of a kidnapping. A couple of desparadoes abduct the ten year old son of the richest man in a village in the deep south. But the pair soon discover that they have taken on far more than they had bargained for. The boy's energy, curiosity, creativity, sense of mischief and total lack of respect for his kidnappers soon has him running rings around them. And it turns out, the boy is a chip off the old block. His father is by no means a soft touch for a ransom and offers them a deal which they cannot refuse....