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.
Stories with a twist ending
These stories build toward a surprise, a reversal, or a final detail that changes how everything before it feels. From the sly humor of “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” to the eerie turn in “The Monkey’s Paw,” each offers a satisfying last moment. Every story is free to read or listen to on Pagehush.
After Twenty Years
Late one night, a police officer on his beat finds a man waiting in a dark doorway.
The Cop and the Anthem
Winter is coming, and Soapy, who lives on a park bench, wants three months in a warm prison.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Two swindlers promise a vain emperor a suit of cloth so fine that fools can't see it.
The Open Window
A nervous man comes to the country for a rest cure and is entertained by a very self-possessed niece of fifteen, who tells him about the open window.
A Service of Love
A young painter and a young pianist marry and move to New York to chase their art.
Désirée's Baby
In old Louisiana, a foundling marries a proud plantation owner, and they have a son.
Hearts and Hands
On a train to the East, a pretty young woman recognises an old friend.
Right-Mind and Wrong-Mind
Two merchants’ sons find a thousand dinars and bury them under a tree.
The Auspicious Vision
Kantichandra, a young widower who lives for hunting, glimpses a beautiful girl beside a lonely swamp and asks for her hand.
The Boarded Window
In the forests near Cincinnati, in 1830, a lonely settler lived in a cabin with one window, always boarded up.
The Debate in Signs
A scholar from a far-off land challenges the court to a debate without words, using only signs.
The False Gems
Monsieur Lantin's wife is perfect in every way, except for her love of the theatre and of cheap imitation jewellery.
The Interlopers
Two men whose families have feuded for generations over a strip of forest meet on a stormy winter night, guns in hand.
The Lion-Makers
Three learned Brahmans and one with plain good sense find a heap of bones in the forest, and the scholars decide to show what their learning can do.
The Locket
Edmond, a young Confederate soldier, wears a locket with his sweetheart's picture.
The Model Millionaire
Charming, penniless Hughie Erskine gives his last sovereign to a ragged old beggar posing for a painter friend.
Where can I read stories with twist endings for free?
You can read these stories for free on Pagehush, with no ads.
Can I listen to stories with twist endings?
Yes. Any story on Pagehush can be read aloud, and you can read or listen on your phone.