O. Henry

Complete with helpful notes about each short story''s biographical and cultural contexts. ''There are just as many real Christmas stories as ever, if we would only dig ''em up,'' wrote William Sydney Porter. The first short story he published under the pen name O. Henry was a holiday tale (''Whistling Dick''s Christmas Stocking''), while his best-known work, ''The Gift of the Magi,'' has inspired countless Yuletide movies and television episodes. Library of America presents all seven of his seasonal offerings-including two about Thanksgiving, the ''one day that is purely American'': The Purple Dress; Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen; Whistling Dick''s Christmas Stocking; A Chaparral Christmas Gift; Christmas by Injunction; The Gift of the Magi; Compliments of the Season. You''ll meet characters only O. Henry could have imagined: Maida, a shop clerk who scrimps and saves for a new dress to wear to the employee holiday party. Stuffy Pete, a homeless man who suffers through the generosity of back-to-back Thanksgiving dinners. The Frio Kid, a murderous outlaw who unexpectedly commits a single act of generosity. Whistling Dick, a tramp who stumbles upon a potentially lethal act of arson and robbery. Cherokee, a gold prospector who strikes it rich and decides to play Santa Claus. And Fuzzy, an alcoholic ''soldier of misfortune,'' who stumbles upon the lost rag doll belonging to a millionaire''s five-year-old daughter. Always witty, often outrageously funny, and filled with O. Henry''s famous plot twists, these stories take readers from New Mexico and Texas, through New Orleans, and to New York City to find the holiday spirit all across America.

Della nadovšetko miluje svojho manžela Jima, no nemôže si dovoliť darovať mu pod stromček to, čo by si predstavovala. A tak sa deň pred Štedrým večerom rozhodne vzdať toho najcennejšieho, čo má, aby získala peniaze na darček hodný lásky jej života. Čoskoro však zistí, že všetko je úplne inak, ako si myslela... Nádherný príbeh o skutočnej láske, hre osudu a obdarúvaní nepochybne vyčaruje ozajstného ducha Vianoc.

Cherokee is a wealthy man who, unlike many others, wants to share his fortune with the people of his town Yellowhammer. He wants to give away presents to the children there but there are no children in town. Will Cherokee be discouraged and let this unexpected difficulty stop him? Or he will find another way to help those in need? Find out in "Christmas by Injunction" by O.

It is Thanksgiving day. Stuffy Pete has just come out from an unexpected feast but he is now waiting for his companion, "The Old Gentleman". They only ever meet on this one day of the year, and although they do not know that much of each other, they always spend the holiday together. Stuffy Pete follows the tradition although he is so full that he cannot think of eating more food.

"Tobin’s Palm" is a story about a young man named Tobin whose love Katie has disappeared. He did everything he could to find her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Heartbroken, Tobin falls into despair. His friend Jawn shows up and force Tobin to head out into to get some fresh air. But what they stumble upon there is not what Jawn or Tobin had expected.

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story about love, selflessness, sacrifices and struggles. Della and James are a young married couple who want to surprise each other with a secret gift for Christmas. Unfortunately, neither of them has much money yet still they each hope they'll manage to buy something in time and that it will be appreciated.

Two friends make a pact: no matter what happens, they will meet at a certain place twenty years later. The years go by and it’s time for them to reunite. While Bob is waiting for his friend Jimmy, a police officer shows up, wanting to know why Bob is standing there. Bob explains and the police officer goes away.

"The Furnished Room" is a short story about love and dedication, about exhaustion and despair. A young man is searching for a girl he fell in love with. He rents a room near the theatre where she could sometimes be seen and he devotes his days to the dream of finding her. When all of a sudden the sweet fragrance of her perfume fills his room.

Audiobook Great Ghost Stories. A spine-tingling collection of classic ghost stories – a perfect way to pass those long winter nights! This set contains The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, The Horla by Guy de Maupassant, Sredni Vashtar by Saki, The Mark of the Beast by Rudyard Kipling, Lost Hearts by M. R. James and The Furnished Room by O.

Audiokniha O. Henry - Povídky - obsahuje krátké povídky s překvapivou pointou a s barvitou galerií uvěřitelných postav a typů. Výraz banánová republika používá kdekdo, málokdo však ví, že do běžného slovníku ho uvedl spisovatel O. HENRY ve svém románu Cabbages and Kings. Napsal ho v roce 1897 v Hondurasu, místě svého nedobrovolného exilu, kam se uchýlil na útěku před zákonem.V hotelu ve městě Trujillo se však zapsal pod jménem Porter. O. Henry přijde na svět až o několik let později