Class 8: The Ransom of Red Chief O Henry

The Ransom of Red Chief O Henry

Summary (Only for Reading)

In the story “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry, two petty criminals, Sam and Bill, come up with a plan to kidnap a child and demand a ransom to make easy money. They choose a small town called Summit in Alabama for their scheme. Their target is a 10-year-old boy named Johnny Dorset, the son of a wealthy man, Ebenezer Dorset.

Sam and Bill kidnap Johnny and take him to a cave a few miles from the town. However, things don't go as planned. Johnny, who calls himself “Red Chief”, loves being kidnapped! Instead of being scared or upset, he enjoys playing rough games and pretending to be an Native American chief. He terrorizes Bill by assigning him the role of his captive, Old Hank, and threatens to kill him at dawn. Sam becomes “Snake-eye,” another captive who is supposed to be burnt alive at sunrise.

Johnny is extremely energetic and wild, constantly playing pranks and shouting war cries, making life unbearable for the two kidnappers. Bill suffers the most, as Johnny kicks, bites, and throws rocks at him. Despite their efforts to control the boy, Johnny only grows more difficult, and the criminals begin to regret their decision.

Realizing they have made a big mistake, Sam and Bill decide to lower the ransom from two thousand dollars to fifteen hundred dollars, hoping that Johnny's father will pay quickly. However, when they send a letter to Ebenezer Dorset demanding the ransom, they receive an unexpected response. Instead of paying the ransom, Dorset offers the kidnappers a deal: if they return Johnny and pay him $250, he will take the boy back.

Desperate to be free of Johnny, Sam and Bill agree to the offer. They return Johnny to his father, who has to hold the boy back as he clings to Bill’s leg, not wanting to leave the fun adventure. Sam and Bill quickly pay the $250 and run away as fast as they can, happy to escape Johnny’s antics.

The story is a humorous twist on a typical kidnapping, showing how the kidnappers end up paying to get rid of their mischievous captive.


Short Summary of the Story (Notebook Work)

Sam and Bill were two small-time criminals who wanted to make easy money by kidnapping a rich man’s son. They went to a small town called Summit in Alabama and chose a ten-year-old boy named Johnny Dorset, whose father was Ebenezer Dorset. They took Johnny to a cave outside the town. But their plan went wrong because Johnny, who called himself “Red Chief,” enjoyed being kidnapped! He played rough games, made loud war cries, and gave Sam and Bill funny names like “Old Hank” and “Snake-eye.” He kept troubling them by shouting, kicking, and throwing things, especially annoying Bill.

Soon, Sam and Bill realised they had made a big mistake. They were so tired of Johnny’s naughty behavior that they decided to ask for less money—only $1500 instead of $2000. When they sent a letter to Johnny’s father, he replied that he would take his son back only if they paid him $250. Sam and Bill, desperate to be free, agreed. When they brought Johnny home, he didn’t want to leave them because he was having fun. The two men quickly paid the $250 and ran away fast. In the end, the kidnappers became the ones who suffered instead of the victim.

Flowchart 

1. Sam and Bill plan to kidnap a rich man’s son for money.
2. They go to Summit, Alabama.
3. They kidnap Johnny Dorset and take him to a cave.
4. Johnny enjoys it and calls himself “Red Chief.”
5. He plays wild games and troubles Bill and Sam.
6. The kidnappers get scared and tired.
7. They lower the ransom from $2000 to $1500.
8. They send a letter to Johnny’s father, Ebenezer Dorset.
9. Dorset replies that they must pay him $250 to take Johnny back.
10. Sam and Bill agree and bring Johnny home.
11. Johnny doesn’t want to leave them.
12. Sam and Bill pay $250 and quickly run away.
    
    
    

Story Analysis 

Central Idea: Two kidnappers, Sam and Bill, kidnap a rich man’s son, Johnny, to demand ransom. But Johnny enjoys being kidnapped and troubles them so much that the kidnappers end up paying his father to take him back.

Themes 

Greed: The kidnappers’ desire for easy money leads to trouble.
Irony: The kidnappers become the victims instead of the boy.
Humour: The story creates laughter through unexpected situations.
Reversal of Roles: The child controls the kidnappers.
Mischief of Childhood: Johnny’s naughty and playful nature drives the story.

Message / Moral: Greed and wrong actions never bring success; cleverness and humor can turn things around.

Setting: The story takes place in Summit, Alabama, mostly in a cave outside the town.

Point of View: Told by Sam, one of the kidnappers, in first person, adding humor and realism.

Characters:

• Sam: The narrator, clever but unlucky.

• Bill: His partner, kind but easily scared.

• Johnny (Red Chief): Naughty, wild, full of imagination.

• Ebenezer Dorset: Johnny’s smart and practical father.
  
  

Title Justification: The title is suitable because the story is about “Red Chief’s ransom,” but in a funny twist, the kidnappers end up paying it themselves.

Literary Devices:

• Irony: Kidnappers pay ransom instead of getting it.

• Humour: Johnny’s naughty behavior and their suffering.

• Exaggeration (Hyperbole): Johnny’s wild actions.

• Satire: Makes fun of greed and foolish crime.