William Sydney Porter (1862-1910)

He was from Greensboro, North Carolina

He had many jobs: Pharmacist, Bank Teller, Cowboy

He was accused of stealing money from the bank he

worked, so he fled to Central America

He went to prison for five years, and it was there

where he started writing stories under
the pseudonym, O. Henry.

His short stories are known for their surprise endings and humor.
Most famous short stories:
1. The Gift of the Magi
2. The Ransom of Red Chief
3. The Furnished Room
The Last Leaf appears in a collection called The Trimmed Lamp (1907)

Sequence of Events
Directions: Put the following statements in order (1-7).
a. ____________ Johnsy tells Sue that when the last ivy leaf falls, she will die.
b. ____________ Johnsy starts to feel better and asks Sue to cook her some broth.
c. ____________ Mr. Behrman stays out all night in the rain to paint an ivy leaf for
Johnsy.
d. ____________ Johnsy catches pneumonia.
e. ____________ The doctor tells Sue that Johnsy has to want to live because
medicine will not work if she is only thinking about death.
f. ____________ Mr. Behrman gets angry at the way Johnsy is thinking about her
death.
g. ____________ Mr. Behrman dies from pneumonia.

Famous Masterpieces

Famous Masterpieces

Famous Masterpieces

Famous Masterpieces

Gable

Dutch roof

Mastiff