The Ransom of Red Chief
Encyclopedia
"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a 1910 short story
by O. Henry
. It follows two men who attempt to kidnap and ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son; eventually, the men are driven to distraction by the boy and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back.
The story and its main idea have become a part of popular culture, with many children's television programs using a version of the story as one of their episodes.
searching for an easy way to get their hands on $2,000 they need in order to launch a land fraud scheme in Illinois
. They set their sights on the quiet town of Summit, Alabama
because of the philoprogenitiveness — love for one's own children — that they believe is common in rural communities.
Bill and Sam decide they will kidnap the son of an important citizen named Ebenezer Dorset, demand a ransom of $2,000, quickly collect the payoff, and be on their way. However, once they actually kidnap the boy and make their way to a hideout in the nearby hills, their plan quickly begins to unravel. Their young captive, a malevolent, redheaded brat who calls himself Red Chief, actually enjoys his stay with his kidnappers, and thinks he is on a camping trip.
Red Chief proceeds to drive his captors to distraction with pranks and demands that they play wearying games with him, such as pretending to be a scout
and using Bill as his horse. Bill and Sam are soon desperate to be rid of the little terror; they lower the price and ask $1,500. They later receive a reply to their ransom letter from Red Chief's father; knowing perfectly well what a handful Red Chief is, he rejects their ransom but instead offers to take the boy back off their hands for $250. When the men bring Red Chief to his home, he does not want to leave, loudly protesting that he was having fun "playing" with Bill and Sam. He then tries to stay with the two kidnappers but is held back by his father, who quickly whispers for the kidnappers to flee town before Red Chief sneaks out of the house and finds them for more "play". The kidnappers then flee in terror.
, or of Louise Lamour on Disney's TaleSpin
(in an episode titled "The Ransom of Red Chimp") or the Dennis the Menace
film.
It was adapted to other media twice in the Soviet Union, once as the movie "Business People" made by Leonid Gaidai
(a screen version of three different O. Henry stories), and once in a loosely based anthropomorphic cartoon called "The imp with a bushy tail". In opposition to popular rumor, according to the film's screenwriter, the 1986 film Ruthless People
was not based, loosely or otherwise, on this story.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by O. Henry
O. Henry
O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...
. It follows two men who attempt to kidnap and ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son; eventually, the men are driven to distraction by the boy and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back.
The story and its main idea have become a part of popular culture, with many children's television programs using a version of the story as one of their episodes.
Plot
This story tells of a boy held for ransom by two money hungry criminals, Bill Driscoll and Sam Howard. The two men are fugitives who have escaped to the Deep SouthDeep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
searching for an easy way to get their hands on $2,000 they need in order to launch a land fraud scheme in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. They set their sights on the quiet town of Summit, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
because of the philoprogenitiveness — love for one's own children — that they believe is common in rural communities.
Bill and Sam decide they will kidnap the son of an important citizen named Ebenezer Dorset, demand a ransom of $2,000, quickly collect the payoff, and be on their way. However, once they actually kidnap the boy and make their way to a hideout in the nearby hills, their plan quickly begins to unravel. Their young captive, a malevolent, redheaded brat who calls himself Red Chief, actually enjoys his stay with his kidnappers, and thinks he is on a camping trip.
Red Chief proceeds to drive his captors to distraction with pranks and demands that they play wearying games with him, such as pretending to be a scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and using Bill as his horse. Bill and Sam are soon desperate to be rid of the little terror; they lower the price and ask $1,500. They later receive a reply to their ransom letter from Red Chief's father; knowing perfectly well what a handful Red Chief is, he rejects their ransom but instead offers to take the boy back off their hands for $250. When the men bring Red Chief to his home, he does not want to leave, loudly protesting that he was having fun "playing" with Bill and Sam. He then tries to stay with the two kidnappers but is held back by his father, who quickly whispers for the kidnappers to flee town before Red Chief sneaks out of the house and finds them for more "play". The kidnappers then flee in terror.
Influence
Like some other Henry works, "The Ransom of Red Chief" has become a familiar cultural trope. Television series, especially for children, often include an episode based on its idea; see for example the capture of Perfuma on She-Ra: Princess of PowerShe-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, aimed primarily at a young girls' audience to counter-balance the latter show's popularity with boys...
, or of Louise Lamour on Disney's TaleSpin
TaleSpin
TaleSpin is a half-hour American animated television series based in the fictional city of Cape Suzette, that first aired in 1990 as part of The Disney Afternoon, with characters adapted from Disney's 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book. The name of the show is a play on "tailspin", the rapid,...
(in an episode titled "The Ransom of Red Chimp") or the Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace (film)
Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name....
film.
It was adapted to other media twice in the Soviet Union, once as the movie "Business People" made by Leonid Gaidai
Leonid Gaidai
Leonid Iovich Gaidai was one of the most popular Soviet comedy directors, enjoying immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former USSR & modern Russia...
(a screen version of three different O. Henry stories), and once in a loosely based anthropomorphic cartoon called "The imp with a bushy tail". In opposition to popular rumor, according to the film's screenwriter, the 1986 film Ruthless People
Ruthless People
Ruthless People is a 1986 black comedy written by Dale Launer, starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater. It also features Bill Pullman as a supporting role in his film debut....
was not based, loosely or otherwise, on this story.