O. Henry 
Cabbages and Kings 

‘Cabbages and Kings’ is one of renowned author William Sidney Porter’s most famous collections of short stories. Better known by his literary pseudonym ‘O. Henry’, the collection was inspired by the time he spent hiding out from the US authorities in Honduras. The narrative focuses on the fictional Republic of Anchuria and is a collective tale of corruption and political intrigue. ‘Cabbages and Kings’ is also the source of the now famous and much-used term ‘banana republic’. The title is in reference to the poem ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’ from ‘Through the Looking Glass’ by well-known children’s author Lewis Carroll. One of O. Henry’s earliest short story collections, ‘Cabbages and Kings’ offers a fascinating introduction to this much-loved 20th century author. –