O. Henry 
The New York Stories of O. Henry 

With East Side tenements, Wall Street offices, and Fifth Avenue as their backdrops, these colorful tales by a master storyteller recount the dreams and passions of New Yorkers at the turn of the twentieth century. As O. Henry, William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) wrote more than 600 short stories, many of them situated amid the bustle of Manhattan. This collection presents 23 of his best, offering an abundance of wit and irony along with his trademark surprise endings.

Selections include ‘The Duel, ‘ in which the author explains that every transplant to New York City must either conquer or be conquered by the metropolis; ‘What You Want, ‘ an exploration of whether or not money can buy happiness; and ‘Proof of the Pudding, ‘ a test of the most realistic way to respond to bad news. Coincidence and fate figure prominently in these moving narratives, which are marked by their keenly observed details and peopled by memorable characters whose dialogue is rich in zesty slang.

Table of Content

I. STRICTLY BUSINESS

II. THE GOLD THAT GLITTERED

III. BABES IN THE JUNGLE

IV. THE DAY RESURGENT

V. THE FIFTH WHEEL

VI. THE POET AND THE PEASANT

VII. THE ROBE OF PEACE

VIII. THE GIRL AND THE GRAFT

IX. THE CALL OF THE TAME

X. THE UNKNOWN QUANTITY

XI. THE THING’S THE PLAY

XII. A RAMBLE IN APHASIA

XIII. A MUNICIPAL REPORT

XIV. PSYCHE AND THE PSKYSCRAPBB

XV. A BIRD OF BAGDAD

XVI. COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON

XVII. A NIGHT IN NEW ARABIA

XVIII. THE GIRL AND THE HABIT

XIX. PROOF OF THE PUDDING

XX. PAST ONE AT ROONEY’S

XXI. THE VENTURERS

XXII. THE DUEL

XXIII.’ WHAT YOU WANT’

About the author

William Sydney Porter (1862–1910) wrote more than 600 short stories under the pen name of O. Henry. Convicted of embezzlement from his employer (the First National Bank of Austin, Texas), he served three years of a five-year sentence, during which he wrote many of the tales that appear in this collection.