The Ransom of Red Chief Summary

"The Ransom of Red Chief" is a very popular story written by one of the very famous writers O. Henry. His writings are known for surprising endings to the audience and they are even humorous and unpredictable. His works are often implemented in television, movies and in small shows.

The Ransom of Red Chief is a story about two kidnappers who were out of money and suddenly got the idea of kidnapping. On top of that, to make their work look challenging, they decided to kidnap a little boy who was the son of a very prominent citizen.

The story revolves around this scenario and let's see what happened to them after executing the kidnapping plan.

Detail Summary

The narrator Sam and a friend named Bill are in Summit, Alabama, which is an extremely flat region. They develop a scheme for a fraud involving Illinois real estate while they are there. They require $2,000 to carry out this strategy. Since Summit is a semi-rural community where individuals frequently have a deep attachment to their children (a trait known as "philoprogenitiveness"), they think that a "kidnapping project" would be successful there. The town also lacks an effective police force or nosy neighbourhood journalists.

Johnny Dorset is a 10-year-old boy with red hair who is the only child of Ebenezer Dorset, a well-known figure, is the target Sam and Bill have chosen. They had faith that Ebenezer, who works to raise money for charitable organisations and foreclosure actions, would easily be able to pay a $2,000 ransom. The men keep their essential belongings in a cave two miles from the town. In a hired cart, they pass Ebenezer's house as dusk falls while attempting to kidnap Johnny, who is playing outside, with candy. But rather than taking up the offer, Johnny, who was busy throwing rocks at a kitten, reacts by smacking Bill in the face with a brick.

Bill yells angrily that the brick incident will cause Johnny's father to demand an additional $500 in ransom as they quickly pulled Johnny into the buggy. They are able to carry Johnny to the cave despite his fierce resistance, which Sam likens to that of a small but tenacious bear. The youngster is subsequently left in Bill's care while Sam returns to the remote cave, returning the rental buggy to town.

Sam arrives back at the cave to find Bill tending to cuts and bruises. Johnny, who has two buzzard tail feathers in his red hair, seems unharmed. Bill explains that they were playing the game "Indian," in which he was Red Chief's captive and would be scalped at dawn. Sam notices that Johnny appears to be having fun, playing with Bill and embracing the cave camping experience. Sam is jokingly referred to as "Snake-eye, the Spy" by Johnny, who also threatens to have him burned at the stake the following morning. The three of them then eat dinner together.

Johnny shares some interesting facts about himself as well as the fact that he has never gone camping before. In addition to admitting hating school, he talks about having a pet possum. He shares a tale of a rat that devoured the hen's eggs belonging to his friend's aunt. Johnny is curious about the area around him and enquires about the existence of real Indians there as well as whether trees are what cause the wind to blow. In addition to announcing his father's wealth with pride, he asks a variety of questions, including whether stars are attractive, whether girls are attractive, whether oxen make noise, why oranges are round, and whether there are any beds in the cave. He also expresses his lack of interest in girls and wonders if oxen make any noise at all. He claims that a parrot can speak, but a monkey or a fish cannot, and he poses a difficult math question by inquiring as to how many components there are in the number twelve. Bill is occasionally surprised by Johnny's cry as he patrols the cave entrance for fictitious paleface scouts. Johnny is asked if he would like to go home by Sam, but the young boy begs to stay in the cave because he is having so much fun there. In response to Sam's assurance that they will stay in the cave for some time, Johnny exclaims with excitement that he has never had so much fun in his life.

Sam and Bill lie down beside Johnny and begin to sleep without giving a second thought to him escaping. Throughout the night, Johnny plays out his fantasies, occasionally waking up in response to noises outside the cave and yelling "Hist! pard" to try to wake up his new friends. Sam is startled awake by Bill's distressing and terrifying screams as dawn breaks, jolting him out of a nightmare in which he is being kidnapped by a pirate with red hair. Bill's screams coincide with the events of Sam's nightmare when Johnny, playing the role of Red Chief, plays along and pretends to try to scalp Bill.

Bill is clearly shaken and unable to fall asleep after Sam confiscates Johnny's knife and tells him to sit down. Sam is able to nod off for a brief period of time but is awakened early by Johnny's playful threat to burn him at the stake. Bill asks Sam about why he was up so early, and Sam replies that he had a sore shoulder. Bill then declares that Sam is terrified of the boy and wonders who would pay a ransom for "such a mischievous little imp." While he ascends to the mountaintop to keep an eye on their surroundings, Sam gives Bill the advice to make breakfast for Johnny. Sam reassures Bill that despite Johnny's rowdiness, his parents still adore him very much.

Sam climbs to the top of a nearby mountain in an effort to find indications of concern or searches being made for a missing child. To his surprise, he discovers that the neighbourhood residents are calmly using pitchforks to search the area, appearing unconcerned about the missing person.

Sam reflects on Johnny's capture and compares it to wolves stealing a lamb, but as he thinks about it, he starts to doubt himself. When Sam returns to the campsite with the intention of making breakfast, she instead finds Johnny threatening Bill with physical harm once more, this time while brandishing a sizable rock that resembles a coconut. Sam is asked if he has access to a gun by Bill, who cries out and accuses the boy of burning him with a scorching potato.

After finishing breakfast and grabbing a leather catapult, Johnny cane out of the cave. Concerned, Bill inquired after him and discovered that he wasn't running away. Sam gave Bill the reassurance that he shouldn't be worried because there wasn't much concern for the missing boy in the area. Sam clarified that Johnny actually intended to visit the town later that evening to deliver a ransom note. A large, black rock was hurled at Bill with a sling by Johnny, who suddenly attacked in a manner reminiscent of David taking down Goliath. After being struck, Bill collapsed and jumped into the campfire. For thirty minutes, Sam gave Bill personal care by dousing his head in cold water.

Bill reveals that King Herod, who famously ordered the execution of all male babies in Bethlehem in an effort to kill the newborn Jesus, is his favourite biblical figure. Sam chastises Johnny for his actions and shakes him to show his displeasure. Then Sam tells Johnny that he will be taken home if he doesn't behave. Sam departs to see if anyone in Poplar Cove, a nearby town, has heard about a missing child. Bill is given the responsibility of being Johnny's playmate while Sam demands an apology from Johnny.

Sam hands Bill the ransom note and tells him to get it to Ebenezer as soon as possible. Bill says that the mischievous child called "that two-legged skyrocket of a kid" and "that forty-pound chunk of freckled wildcat" is Johnny. In addition, Sam calls Johnny "that two-legged skyrocket of a kid" and "that forty-pound chunk of freckled wildcat." Sam is urged to take quick action by Bill, who reminds him of their past assistance during various difficulties. Sam assures that he will be back as soon as possible. Johnny and Bill are working on the ransom letter while Johnny poses as an Indian Chief and parades around acting as though he is the one holding the hostages. In an effort to facilitate the troublesome child's safe return, Bill, who is emotional, persuades Sam to lower the demanded ransom from $2000 to $1500.

Sam offers to trade his son for the $1500 in large bills demanded as ransom in a letter to Ebenezer. On the road to Poplar Cove, across from the third tree after passing Owl Creek, Sam specifies the precise time and place for the response to be given: at the base of a fence post that surrounds a wheat field. The transaction is to be carried out by a lone messenger in a remote area outside of town. Sam issues a warning that Ebenezer won't ever see his son again if the conditions are not accepted. Sam agrees to deliver Johnny back in three hours, but only if the terms are accepted. Sam runs into Johnny while carrying the letter, and Johnny asks if he and Bill can play the Black Scout game while he's gone because he's sick of playing the Indian chief. Of course," Sam assures him. With you, Mr. Bill will play.

After handing the ransom note to Bill, Sam gives him the order to keep Johnny busy until he gets back. Bill will take part in a brand-new game, he informs Johnny. Bill kneels down and impersonates the Black Scout's mount so that Johnny can ride on his back as Sam departs the group of two. Sam counsels Bill to unwind and keep Johnny interested. By pressing his heels into Bill's sides, Johnny forces him to move forward while imagining they have 90 miles to travel to get to the stockade. Bill begs Sam to return immediately and expresses regret over having to pay the $1,000 ransom, joking that they should have paid less.

While travelling to Poplar Cove, a nearby town, Sam overhears a conversation. Everyone's distress over Johnny, a person they know, going missing inexplicably is the topic of conversation. Sam makes the decision to leave Summit and go back to the cave where they will wait patiently for a response once they are sure their plan has worked. Sam returns to the cave after sending Ebenezer a note demanding payment as ransom. Sam arrives at the cave, but they can't see Bill or Johnny there, so they wait. Bill returns to the camp after about 30 minutes, wiping his face with a red handkerchief, and Johnny trails after him closely, acting like a scout.

Bill apologises to Sam for sending Johnny home and explains that he was no longer able to handle the hardships of holding him captive. Bill tells the story of how Johnny forced him to play the part of a horse in the game Black Scout and even attempted to feed him sand, thinking it was oats. He says he underwent "supernatural tortures" and likens his ordeal to the sufferings of martyrs in the past. Bill also makes reference to Johnny's ridiculous inquiries, such as "Why is there nothing in holes?" He believes this shows that caring for Johnny was beyond the capabilities of everyone. Informing Sam that their hopes for a ransom have been dashed, Bill ends by saying that he escorted Johnny down the mountain and sent him home. Either that, or "Bill Driscoll to the madhouse."

To see that Johnny has been following him the entire time, Sam asks Bill to turn around. When Bill notices Johnny, he slumps to the ground and begins mindlessly picking at the grass, feeling dejected. Sam gives him hope by saying that the plan of kidnapping might be over soon. Bill is encouraged by this and feels better enough to assure Johnny that they will play another imaginative game in which he will take on the role of a Russian battling the Japanese. To get a better view of the designated drop-off location and to wait for Ebenezer's response, Sam scales a tree above it. A young messenger eventually rides up on a bicycle, drops a folded piece of paper in the box at the base of the fence post, and then pedals off back in the direction of Summit. Sam waits patiently for an hour in order to avoid any potential counterparts or being discovered. They leave the tree and head back to the cave when Sam thinks no one is looking, then they descend from the tree and take the note with them. Sam reads the note to Bill by the light of a lantern after realising that the handwriting on the note is difficult to read.

Sam responds by suggesting a different course of action: they should return Johnny while also paying Ebenezer $250 to take him back. Ebenezer, however, thinks Sam's demanded ransom is too high and disagrees. Ebenezer suggests that Sam visit for the exchange after dark. He says he can't be held accountable for his neighbours' behaviour during the day because they think Johnny is just lost.

Sam is shocked by Ebenezer's irrational response, but Bill feels relieved that their trying situation might be finally over. Bill urges Sam to accept the counteroffer, saying that $250 seems like a small price to pay to be free from Johnny's challenges. They both decide to abandon the ransom plan after Sam acknowledges that dealing with Johnny is too difficult. They create a made-up narrative for Johnny in which he is informed that his father has given him a silver-mounted rifle and some moccasins. They make Johnny a bear hunting trip promise in an effort to get him to go back home.

Sam and Bill take Johnny to Ebenezer's home in Summit at midnight and pay him the $250 agreed upon. Johnny clings to Bill's leg as he becomes upset upon learning that his friends are leaving. It takes some work to get Johnny away from Bill, but eventually his father steps in and grabs hold of Johnny. Old Dorset acknowledges that he might not be as strong as he once was, but he assures Sam and Bill that he can keep Johnny busy for at least ten minutes. Bill and Sam quickly outrun each other as a result of this diversion, making a quick getaway out of town?possibly towards the Canadian border.

The Ransom of Red Chief Analysis

The story "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a compelling literary work that describes a kidnapping that doesn't go as planned. Despite being humorous, the tale contains a lesson. The first-person perspective provided by the narrator, who is one of the characters, gives the story an interesting twist. The plot develops amusingly and in a lighthearted way, introducing unexpected events along the way. The kidnappers are well-developed, but their traits are exaggerated and unnatural. When they kidnap a problematic young boy, they find themselves in a difficult situation. They quickly learn, though, that they cannot manage or restrain his mischievous behaviour. The kidnappers find it difficult to deal with the boy's antics as they grow increasingly irritated and annoyed by him. The young boy's actions leave them powerless and overwhelmed, in spite of their best intentions.

Overall, "The Ransom of Red Chief" successfully combines humour, skillful storytelling, and exaggerated characters to tell a memorable story with a significant moral lesson. The young boy's character in "The Ransom of Red Chief" is exaggerated in several ways. He enjoys being kidnapped and has no desire to return home, unlike real children. He even uses the alias "Red Chief" and assumes a position of authority to exert control over the circumstance. He appears to be the aggressor rather than the victim, which ultimately works against the kidnappers.

The character of Ebenezer Dorset in "The Ransom of Red Chief" is in unexpected way. Ebenezer responds to the kidnappers' demand in a surprisingly cool manner, which is surprising given that a father would naturally be worried about his son's safety. He doesn't panic or give in to their demands as easily as one might think. The kidnappers are taught a lesson by his cool response to the crisis. By refusing to pay the ransom in an unnatural way, Ebenezer thwarts the kidnappers' plans and averts potential harm to innocent people who might have been impacted by their other illegal activities.

The story of "The Ransom of Red Chief" develops in a lighthearted and humorous way, but it also has a moral component. The criminals who abducted the child and planned to use the ransom money for illicit purposes ultimately bear the costs of their actions. The author emphasises "poetic justice" throughout the narrative.

At first, the reader assumes that the kidnappers will ask Johnny's father for a ransom. But things take a turn, and the kidnappers wind up picking up something important. They are forced to pay Johnny's father in order to get rid of him rather than receiving a ransom to secure the boy's release. There is a sense of poetic justice in this turn of events. The criminals, who intended to make money off of their wrongdoing, are made to give money to Johnny's father instead, reversing their intended roles and bringing home the irony and moral lesson of the tale.