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The Princess and the Puma
A whimsical tale.
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
O. Henry
2,914 books1,871 followersSuch volumes as
Cabbages and Kings
(1904) and
The Four Million
(1906) collect short stories, noted for their often surprising endings, of American writer William Sydney Porter, who used the pen name O. Henry.
His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. His era produced their voices and his language.
Mother of three-year-old Porter died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen years of age and worked for five years in drugstore of his uncle and then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.
In 1884, he went to Austin, where he worked in a real estate office and a church choir and spent four years as a draftsman in the general land office. His wife and firstborn died, but daughter Margaret survived him.
He failed to establish a small humorous weekly and afterward worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts balanced not, people blamed and fired him.
In Houston, he worked for a few years until, ordered to stand trial for embezzlement, he fled to New Orleans and thence Honduras.
Two years later, he returned on account of illness of his wife. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, including A Blackjack Bargainer , The Enchanted Kiss , and The Duplicity of Hargraves .
In 1899, McClure's published Whistling Dick's Christmas Story and Georgia's Ruling .
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902, Ainslee's Magazine offered him a regular income if he moved to New York.
In less than eight years, he became a bestselling author of collections of short stories. Cabbages and Kings came first in 1904 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed.
Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.
People rewarded other persons financially more. A Retrieved Reformation about the safe-cracker Jimmy Valentine got $250; six years later, $500 for dramatic rights, which gave over $100,000 royalties for playwright Paul Armstrong. Many stories have been made into films.
His biography shows where he found inspiration for his characters. His era produced their voices and his language.
Mother of three-year-old Porter died from tuberculosis. He left school at fifteen years of age and worked for five years in drugstore of his uncle and then for two years at a Texas sheep ranch.
In 1884, he went to Austin, where he worked in a real estate office and a church choir and spent four years as a draftsman in the general land office. His wife and firstborn died, but daughter Margaret survived him.
He failed to establish a small humorous weekly and afterward worked in poorly-run bank. When its accounts balanced not, people blamed and fired him.
In Houston, he worked for a few years until, ordered to stand trial for embezzlement, he fled to New Orleans and thence Honduras.
Two years later, he returned on account of illness of his wife. Apprehended, Porter served a few months more than three years in a penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. During his incarceration, he composed ten short stories, including A Blackjack Bargainer , The Enchanted Kiss , and The Duplicity of Hargraves .
In 1899, McClure's published Whistling Dick's Christmas Story and Georgia's Ruling .
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he sent manuscripts to New York editors. In the spring of 1902, Ainslee's Magazine offered him a regular income if he moved to New York.
In less than eight years, he became a bestselling author of collections of short stories. Cabbages and Kings came first in 1904 The Four Million, and The Trimmed Lamp and Heart of the West followed in 1907, and The Voice of the City in 1908, Roads of Destiny and Options in 1909, Strictly Business and Whirligigs in 1910 followed.
Posthumously published collections include The Gentle Grafter about the swindler, Jeff Peters; Rolling Stones , Waifs and Strays , and in 1936, unsigned stories, followed.
People rewarded other persons financially more. A Retrieved Reformation about the safe-cracker Jimmy Valentine got $250; six years later, $500 for dramatic rights, which gave over $100,000 royalties for playwright Paul Armstrong. Many stories have been made into films.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 5, 2018
“The Princess and the Puma” was a great read and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fairytale with a not so happy ending. The reason why this is not your typical fairytale is because it has deep meanings about certain theories. Ever heard of the Marxist theory? Critical Race theory? Feminist theory? Psychoanalytic theory? Well, then you are in for a spin because this book has all these theories represented in the story. Each theory will have you thinking and analyzing these concepts. These theories represent how even in short fairy tales, something dark can emerge from them.
For that reason, I would recommend this short story to an audience with ages between 15 and up. The book is a quick read and very easy to comprehend, nothing like a Shakespeare reading. I only had to read the story once to understand what it was about. The second reading was to find the different theories and those as well were not that hard to find. So difficulty understanding the book will not be a problem. Finally, if you are a fan of O Henry’s short stories, then this one might even turn into your favorite one!
For that reason, I would recommend this short story to an audience with ages between 15 and up. The book is a quick read and very easy to comprehend, nothing like a Shakespeare reading. I only had to read the story once to understand what it was about. The second reading was to find the different theories and those as well were not that hard to find. So difficulty understanding the book will not be a problem. Finally, if you are a fan of O Henry’s short stories, then this one might even turn into your favorite one!
January 25, 2015
I have composed my thoughts into a haiku:
"Bullshit on the fly,
Get a smile but don't forget:
Intrepidity."
"Bullshit on the fly,
Get a smile but don't forget:
Intrepidity."
June 9, 2024
Another O. Henry story that should be better known. Here, a rancher spies a lovely woman at a watering hole — and a puma hidden in the grasses, ready to attack. What follows is an unlikely start of a possible romance.
July 1, 2018
Morning Short podcast
January 30, 2019
Great short story. Worth a read!
May 18, 2019
It was good for a short story
November 5, 2020
A delightful quick read. While the story itself is strong, O'Henry's descriptive writing alone is worth a gander.
May 2, 2021
Poor old Bill just wanted some supper.
July 28, 2019
One of those older reads that sound interesting to you but then turns out to make you scratch your head in the end while wondering you just read. If anyone were to read this I would say starting about the young adult level.
The story is somewhat like a fairytale although set in a Western theme so even though you have the necessary royals that is all around it. Furthermore there is a hero who falls in love with the heroine while he wants her hand in marriage, meets her, takes her back to her house after a dangerous encounter and then goes on his way without any further say-so.
O. Henry does a wonderful job in descriptive writing and his words blend musically in some sense, which is what I enjoyed. I just wish there was a bit more to the story since it would have basically been good otherwise if so.
The story is somewhat like a fairytale although set in a Western theme so even though you have the necessary royals that is all around it. Furthermore there is a hero who falls in love with the heroine while he wants her hand in marriage, meets her, takes her back to her house after a dangerous encounter and then goes on his way without any further say-so.
O. Henry does a wonderful job in descriptive writing and his words blend musically in some sense, which is what I enjoyed. I just wish there was a bit more to the story since it would have basically been good otherwise if so.
December 31, 2013
This was quite amusing in its own way.
May 12, 2016
Girls with guns. Happy now.
September 21, 2016
"Şahzadə və Puma" hekayəsi.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews