Hearts and Hands
On a train to the East, a pretty young woman recognises an old friend.
O. Henry was the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter, known for short stories with lively city settings and surprising turns. Here you can read his stories, from “The Last Leaf” and “After Twenty Years” to “The Ransom of Red Chief”; every story is free to read or listen to.
After Twenty Years
Late one night, a police officer on his beat finds a man waiting in a dark doorway.
The Romance of a Busy Broker
A Wall Street broker is so swept up in the rush of the trading day that he proposes to his stenographer between orders.
Witches' Loaves
Miss Martha runs a little bakery, and she is sure her shy customer who only buys stale bread is a poor, starving artist.
The Gift of the Magi
With only $1.87 for a Christmas gift, Della sells her beautiful hair to buy a platinum chain for her husband’s heirloom watch.
A Service of Love
A young painter and a young pianist marry and move to New York to chase their art.
The Cop and the Anthem
Winter is coming, and Soapy, who lives on a park bench, wants three months in a warm prison.
The Last Leaf
In a Greenwich Village studio, a young painter sick with pneumonia decides she will die when the last ivy leaf falls from the wall outside.
A Retrieved Reformation
Jimmy Valentine, the best safe-cracker in the business, comes out of prison and falls for a banker's daughter in a small town.
The Ransom of Red Chief
Two small-time crooks kidnap a banker's son for ransom. The boy turns out to be a terror they can't control, and soon they're begging his father to take him back.
The Furnished Room
A young man searching New York for the girl he loves rents a shabby furnished room, and smells mignonette, her favourite scent.
Where can I read O. Henry stories for free?
You can read O. Henry stories free on Pagehush, with no ads. You can also read on your phone.
Can I listen to O. Henry stories aloud?
Yes. Any story on Pagehush can be read aloud in a natural voice.