Short Story Blog by Carla

    Title The Ransom of Red Chief   Author O. Henry   Characters • Sam – one of the kidnappers • Bill – Sam’s partner • Johnny (Red Chief) – the mischievous boy they kidnap • Mr. Dorset – Johnny’s father     Exposition Sam and Bill plan to kidnap a young boy to get ransom money. They choose Johnny, thinking he will be easy to control.   Rising Action Johnny turns out to be wild, energetic, and impossible to handle. He pretends Bill is his prisoner, hurts him during playtime, and never stops talking. The kidnappers become exhausted.   Climax Sam and Bill send a ransom note to Mr. Dorset. Instead of paying, Mr. Dorset demands that they pay him to take Johnny back.   Resolution Desperate and scared of Johnny, Sam and Bill agree. They pay Mr. Dor...

    Title The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow     Author Washington Irving   Characters • Ichabod Crane – a skinny schoolteacher • Brom Bones – Ichabod’s rival • Katrina Van Tassel – the girl they both like • The Headless Horseman – the ghostly figure from the legend     Exposition Ichabod Crane arrives in Sleepy Hollow, a quiet town full of ghost stories. He falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel and dreams of marrying her.   Rising Action Ichabod competes with Brom Bones for Katrina’s attention. Brom teases him with scary stories, especially the tale of the Headless Horseman.   Climax After leaving Katrina’s house one night, Ichabod rides home through the dark woods. He encounters the Headless Horseman , who chases him across the bridge.   Resoluti...

    Title Thank you, ma’am   Author Langston Hughes   Characters • Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones – a strong, kind woman • Roger – a young boy who tries to steal her purse   Exposition Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones’s purse on the street at night. She catches him and refuses to let him run away.   Rising Action Instead of punishing him, Mrs. Jones brings Roger to her home. She feeds him, talks to him, and teaches him about trust, choices, and respect.   Climax Mrs. Jones leaves her purse right in front of Roger, giving him a chance to steal it again. Roger chooses not to run away or take anything.   Resolution Mrs. Jones gives Roger money to buy the blue suede shoes he wanted. Roger wants to say something more meaningful than “thank you,” but the ...

    Title Rikki-Tikki-Tavi   Author Rudyard Kipling   Characters • Rikki-Tikki-Tavi – a brave mongoose • Teddy – the boy he protects • Nag – a dangerous cobra • Nagaina – Nag’s mate, also deadly • Teddy’s parents     Exposition Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a young mongoose, is washed out of his burrow by a flood and rescued by Teddy’s family. He becomes part of their home and learns there are two dangerous cobras in the garden.   Rising Action Rikki discovers Nag and Nagaina plan to kill the family so they can rule the garden. Rikki fights Nag first and protects the humans.   Climax Nagaina tries to attack Teddy and his family during breakfast. Rikki fights her and chases her into her snake hole underground.   Resolution Rikki kills Nagaina and return...

  Title Seventh Grade   Author Gary Soto   Characters • Victor – the main character, a seventh-grade boy • Teresa – the girl Victor likes • Michael – Victor’s best friend • Mr. Bueller – their French teacher   Exposition Victor starts seventh grade excited but nervous. He wants Teresa to notice him, and he hopes they’ll be in the same classes. We learn he likes her and wants this year to be special. Rising Action Victor tries to impress Teresa all day. He answers roll call loudly, hopes she will talk to him, and even follows her in the hallway. In French class, he pretends to know the language just to look smart in front of her. Climax Mr. Bueller asks Victor to speak French, and Victor panics. He starts saying random noises that don’t make sense. Everyone stares. Teresa thinks he's good at French, but...

    Title All Summer in a Day   Author Ray Bradbury   Characters Margot – a quiet girl from Earth who remembers the sun. William – the main bully/classmate. The Classmates – other children living on Venus. Teacher – supervises the class.     Exposition We learn that the children live on Venus, where it rains nonstop, and the sun only comes out once every seven years. Margot remembers the sun, but the other kids don’t.   Rising Action The sun is about to come out. The children get annoyed and jealous because Margot remembers the sun better than they do. They lock her in a closet out of spite.   Climax The sun finally appears. The children run outside and experience sunlight for the first time but Margot is still trapped inside.   ...