Thirty-three colorful tales - including "The Gift of the Magi," "The Cop and the Anthem," and "The Furnished Room" - recapture city life at the turn of the 20th century.

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) wrote more than 600 short stories under the pen name of O. Henry. Convicted of embezzlement from his employer (the First National Bank of Austin, Texas), he served three years of a five-year sentence, during which he wrote many of the tales that appear in this collection.