@stories-from-around-the-world
A collection of world-famous short stories.
Private Duck was a messenger who walked into a trap. For three agonizing days, he lay pinned behind a rock. Driven to madness, he finally charged his enemies to end it all, but he woke up miles away in a cold river. He walked back to camp expecting a hero’s welcome. Instead, he found a reaction that froze his blood. It is a story about a soldier who survived the battle, but could not survive the truth.
A man walks into a bar looking for a friend, but gets cornered by a bore. Old Simon Wheeler locks him in to steal his time and his sanity. He forces the poor man to listen to the "serious" history of a frog named Dan'l Webster. It is a classic comedy where the frog is an athlete, the gambler is a fool, and the listener is doomed.
A little girl in Boston had a naughty habit. She ran to the alleys; she ran to the ash heaps; she ran until she was lost. To stop her wild feet, her parents tied her to a sofa. But they could not tie down her wild mind. Forced to stay inside, she found a new way to escape.
Mr. Holt walked into the country to forget his broken marriage. He found a quiet road, but he did not find peace. A strange red glow began to follow him. He turned left, he turned right, he turned around. But always the shadow lay in front of him; always the light burned behind him. It is a story about a man who tried to lose his way, but found a horror that knew exactly where he was.
Two young friends made a pact. They promised to meet at the same spot in exactly twenty years. One went West to hunt for gold. The other stayed East to find his way. Now, on a rainy night, a man waits in a dark doorway. He has come a thousand miles to keep his word. It is a story about the weight of a promise, and the mystery of who, if anyone, will walk out of the fog.
Peyton Farquhar stands on a bridge, waiting to lose his footing and his life. But when the plank falls, a miracle happens. The rope breaks. He plunges into the river, dodging bullets and racing through the forest to reach his wife. But his senses are strangely sharp. In this mind-bending thriller, the reader must decide if Peyton escaped the hanging, or if the hanging escaped him.
You might think asking for a match on the street is simple, but one man's need for a light spirals into an unbelievable ordeal when a decent, ordinary-looking man accepts the request. Witness the growing, pocket-digging frenzy that ensues as the helpful stranger turns a small favor into a hysterical, frustrating catastrophe.
On a train to Leavenworth, a woman finds an old friend handcuffed to a rough stranger. The two men share a seat, a secret, and a shackle. As they talk of the West, a deception unfolds that preserves a man's dignity. A simple gesture saves face, and saving face saves a heart.
A skeptic declares that 'strange accidents' are impossible, only to summon a spirit made of wine kegs who takes that as a personal challenge. The creature forces him into a chaotic series of disasters that break his bones and his skepticism. From a burning house to a runaway balloon, the man learns a hard lesson: he may not believe in the odd, but the odd believes in him.
On a freezing night in Boston, a crowd gathers to taunt the British guard. They throw ice and insults, not knowing they are standing on the edge of history. A single command cuts through the noise, turning a riot into a revolution. In this tragic tale, the people discover that snow melts, blood dries, but memory lasts forever.
In a village beyond the river Skai, the cats are ancient and wise, but not everyone respects their power. When a mysterious caravan visits the town, a secret conflict brewing in the shadows comes to a head. The result is a night that changes the village forever. Discover the dark origin of a law born of a child’s tear, a strange prayer, and a terrible vengeance.
A paranoid man reads a paperback and thinks he has found proof of an alien invasion. The text describes creatures who can 'split up' their bodies and 'move' their eyes across a room. He trembles with fear, convinced the Earth is doomed. But is it a war of worlds, or a war of words?
On the coldest night of the year, a lonely little girl strikes a match against the wall. The grey stone turns into a window, revealing a room full of warmth and joy. But the wind is howling and her bundle is small. She finds herself trapped between the dark street she lives in and the bright dream she longs for. What waits for her when the last match burns out?
Three thieves ignore the silent stones and strange stories of Kingsport to target a trembling recluse. They judge their victim by his shaking hands, not his ancient eyes. But inside the house on Water Street, the tables turn. In the dark, the robbers learn too late that youth is arrogant, greed is blind, and old age is terrible.
A sudden blizzard traps two woodcutters in a remote hut, but only the youngest survives the night. He is spared on one absolute condition: he must never breathe a word of the terror he witnessed. Years later, amidst a life of warmth and love, the memory begins to thaw. Minokichi discovers that he keeps the secret, but the secret also keeps him. A chilling story of a vow that must never be broken.
This collection gathers the most chilling and incisive tales from Ambrose Bierce, master of the macabre and writer of the American Civil War's grim realities. It showcases his signature style, featuring works renowned for their dark irony, psychological horror, and unforgettable surprise endings.
O. Henry’s short stories are renowned for their wit, clever wordplay, and signature surprise endings that often deliver an ironic twist. These tales capture the lives of ordinary people in early 20th-century America, blending humor and sentimentality in a distinctive and memorable style.
H.P. Lovecraft’s short stories are foundational works of cosmic horror, characterized by a pervasive sense of dread and the terrifying realization of humanity's insignificance in a vast universe. His narratives often involve forbidden knowledge and ancient, eldritch entities that drive protagonists to the very brink of madness.
