O. Henry is known for entertaining and clever short stories. The Gift of the Magi is featured in our collections: Christmas Stories and Short Stories for Middle School.If you enjoyed it, try Giovanni Boccaccio's Federigo's Falcon, and The Necklace, both employing ironic twists, and great examples for comparative analysis. O. Henry was a famous writer of short stories. About This Quiz & Worksheet. Bill and Sam sure didn't anticipate the lesson they learned, "Crime sure doesn't pay!" Here are some free short stories to read online. There are examples of many types of stories … Located in central west Austin, the school offers strong academic programming and a focus on social and emotional learning as well as band, orchestra, athletics and pre-AP courses. These entertaining stories have been selected to introduce students to the short story genre and will help them build critical thinking skills while sharpening their reading skills and expanding their vocabulary words. In fact, it'll cost you plenty. O. Henry Middle School is named for short story writer William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name of O. Henry. A link is provided where possible for easy online reading. A prolific short story writer in the early 1900’s, Porter lived in Austin from 1884 to 1895, working at the General Land Office as a draftsman and at the First National Bank of Austin as a teller. A selection of great short stories for Middle School teachers and students. The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry. American author O. Henry wrote many short stories during his writing career. In this lesson, we'll learn about the life of O. Henry, a great American writer who created some very memorable, humorous, and surprising short stories. O. Henry Middle School is named for William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name of O. Henry. Here is a list of some of his famous stories with a short summary for each. These very short stories are perfect for high school or middle school students, or anyone who loves reading. In this lesson, you'll learn a little bit about O. Henry's life and will read about some of his stories. This page contains some of O. Henry’s best and well known stories as well as lesser known works. Teachers and students may benefit from our The Gift of the Magi Study Guide to more fully enjoy the story. The Ransom of Red Chief is a fine example of O. Henry's use of irony. First published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1902.