Short Stories for High Schools

In Short

This volume is an educational anthology designed to introduce students to the modern short story. It gathers celebrated American and European fiction to demonstrate how brief narrative forms capture the energy, speed, and character of contemporary life. Across its pages, readers encounter missionary trials in ancient forests, comedic Southern baptisms, buried pirate treasure, athletic gridiron rivalries, and psychological thrillers. By pairing classic tales with insightful analytical introductions, the book serves as a masterclass in craft. It shows how concise storytelling reflects a fast-moving society, remaining an enduring textbook on narrative technique and human nature.

The Story

The anthology opens with an editorial defense of modern literature, arguing that young readers need stories reflecting their fast-paced, industrialized world alongside older classics. From this prelude, the collection embarks on a varied journey through distinct narrative landscapes, starting with Henry van Dyke’s tale of Saint Winfried. Deep in a snowbound forest, Winfried leads a weary band of Christian pilgrims toward the thunder-oak of Geismar to stop pagan rituals and establish a new Yuletide tradition. The focus then shifts to a lighter domestic setting in Ruth McEnery Stuart’s story, where a father rides out on a rainy night to fetch an Episcopal minister for his sick child, anxious over swollen toes and impending lockjaw.

The collection then explores American regionalism, visiting a uniquely designed country farmhouse in James Whitcomb Riley’s account before diving into Edgar Allan Poe’s masterpiece of ratiocination, "The Gold Bug." Here, William Legrand isolates himself on Sullivan’s Island, deciphers a complex cryptogram, and unearths a massive chest of pirate treasure with his companions. Humorous misadventures follow in O. Henry’s "The Ransom of Red Chief," where two hapless kidnappers, Bill Driscoll and the narrator, capture a terrifyingly mischievous ten-year-old boy in Alabama, only to find themselves paying the child's father to take him back.

Navigating through urban hustle and collegiate drama, Ralph D. Paine depicts an aging journalist watching his son battle on the football field for Yale, while Richard Harding Davis follows Gallegher, an impudent newsboy who outwits local authorities to capture a fugitive and secure an exclusive scoop. Mark Twain contributes classic Western humor through a framed narrative where Simon Wheeler traps a visitor into listening to tall tales about Jim Smiley’s betting habits and his famous frog. Bret Harte introduces tragic frontier companionship in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat," where exiled social pariahs and innocent lovers are trapped by a blizzard in a mountain cabin, facing starvation and betrayal.

Domestic defiance takes center stage in Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s "The Revolt of 'Mother'," as Sarah Penn boldly moves her family’s belongings into her husband’s newly built barn while he is away. Post-Civil War tragedy surfaces in Thomas Nelson Page’s "Marse Chan," narrated by a faithful former slave named Sam who recalls his master's tragic love affair and wartime death. George W. Cable portrays New Orleans color in "Posson Jone'," where a naive preacher succumbs to gambling temptation through a Creole acquaintance. H. C. Bunner provides light suburban comedy as a family copes with the arrival of a dreaded relative, while Edith Wharton delivers chilling psychological dread in "The Triumph of Night," where a young secretary foresees a nobleman's tragic fate tied to corporate greed. The book closes with moral reflection in Robert Louis Stevenson's "Markheim," tracing a murderer's internal struggle with conscience inside a dark antique shop.

How It Unfolds

The journey begins Pioneering travelers battle deep snowdrifts and wolf packs along an ancient Roman road as Winfried leads his followers to supplant pagan rites at the thunder-oak of Geismar.

A panic in the night A frantic Southern father rides fourteen miles through the dark rain to secure a clergyman for his young son, fearing the boy's swollen foot signals fatal lockjaw.

Deciphering the secret William Legrand uncovers an iron-bound chest brimming with gold and jewels after methodically solving a parchment's mysterious cryptogram on a desolate barrier island.

An inverted kidnapping Two small-time swindlers capture a terrorizing young boy in Alabama, only to become his tortured captives and pay his father to take him off their hands.

The press room triumph Young newsboy Gallegher braves a stormy night, sneaks into a prize fight, assists a detective in arresting a hidden fugitive, and collapses in his editor's arms after beating every rival paper.

Snowbound on the mountain A group of banished outcasts and young lovers huddle in a ruined cabin, only to find their provisions stolen as a sudden blizzard seals their fate.

Moving into the barn Sarah Penn takes advantage of her husband's absence to haul her entire household into his newly built barn, transforming its box stalls into spacious bedrooms.

Recalling past glory Sam looks back on the tragic pre-war romance of his master, Marse Chan, who died fighting in the Civil War after being rejected by his beloved.

Confronting the shadow In a dimly lit antique shop, Markheim confronts his own moral depravity after committing a senseless murder, ultimately choosing self-surrender over further evil.

The People

Winfried A devoted Christian leader who desires to convert the woodland tribes of Germany. He marches through harsh winter drifts to replace pagan rites with Christmas traditions, inspiring his followers through sheer physical endurance and religious conviction.

William Legrand An impoverished gentleman of Huguenot descent living in isolation on Sullivan’s Island. Driven to restore his lost fortune, he obsessed over a mysterious cryptogram until he successfully unearths a vast pirate treasure.

Bill Driscoll A desperate swindler seeking two thousand dollars to fund a fraudulent real estate scheme in Illinois. His plans fall apart when his young kidnapping victim terrorizes him, leaving him physically bruised and desperate to escape the boy.

Sarah Penn A patient New England wife who has waited forty years for her husband to build a proper home. Tired of empty promises, she displays quiet, radical courage by taking over his new barn and turning it into a comfortable residence.

Gallegher An impudent, resourceful newspaper office boy in Philadelphia who craves a big story. He outsmarts police officers and rival journalists to catch a fugitive, collapsing from sheer exhaustion after delivering his scoop.

Markheim A desperate, conflicted man who enters an antique shop under the guise of buying a gift, only to murder the shopkeeper. Trapped in the dark room, he confronts his own inner corruption and chooses spiritual redemption over flight.

In Its Own Voice

"Through this sea of shadows ran a narrow stream of shining whiteness,—an ancient Roman road, covered with snow."

This vivid imagery introduces the stark, freezing setting as Winfried's pilgrims trek through dark forests toward Geismar.

"As the rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed upwards, from a confused heap of gold and of jewels, a glow and a glare that absolutely dazzled our eyes."

The narrator captures the breathless moment when Legrand's arduous search finally yields a vast, forgotten treasure.

"There is a certain uncanny and superhuman quality about all such purely original undertakings as their mother’s was to them."

This line highlights the quiet amazement of Sarah Penn's children as they watch her boldly commandeer her husband's new barn.

What It's Really About

Beneath its entertaining plots, the anthology examines how individuals navigate sudden crises, moral choices, and changing societal norms. It contrasts older European traditions with a distinctly American spirit defined by speed, practicality, and self-reliance. Many selections explore the friction between personal desire and community expectations, showing characters who break traditional rules to achieve justice or dignity. Others probe the dark corners of human psychology, exploring how guilt, obsession, and greed shape human behavior. Ultimately, the collection demonstrates that short fiction is uniquely suited to capture the fragmented, fast-moving realities of modern existence.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a fascinating window into early twentieth-century literary instruction and the evolution of American popular fiction. Readers who appreciate historical narrative, varied regional voices, and classic plot twists will find much to enjoy. Reading this collection feels like stepping into a well-curated library of vintage storytelling, where high adventure sits alongside gentle humor and dark psychological drama.

Modern readers should note that the collection includes period difficulties, such as heavy regional dialects, dated slang, and racial depictions typical of its era. However, the sheer variety of narrative voices—from O. Henry’s sharp wit to Wharton’s gothic atmosphere—makes it an engaging read. It remains a valuable historical artifact that demonstrates how short fiction became a dominant form in American culture.