Short Story Blog by Alma

Title: Thank You Ma am Author: Langston Hughes   Characters: -           Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones: A strong, kind woman -           Roger: A young boy who tries to steal a purse   Plot Elements Exposition: That night, Roger moves toward Mrs. Jones without warning. Her purse catches his eye under a dim streetlight. He reaches for it fast, hoping she won’t turn around. The moment stretches - quiet, tense. Just before he grabs it, her hand tightens on the strap. Nothing feels certain anymore. Rising Action : Home is where Mrs. Jones brings Roger, sits him down to eat, then speaks plainly about good choices versus bad ones. A meal shared leads into talk that matters - no preaching, just words meant to stick. Climax:   Finding herself ready to trust, Mrs. Jones hands over cash for the shoes, then walks away - leaving Roger sitting there beside her open pur...

  Title : The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow Author: Washington Irving   Characters: -           Ichabob: A superstitious schoolteacher -           Katrina: A wealthy farmer’s daughter -            Brom: Ichabod’s rival -           The headless horseman: A legendary ghost figure   Plot Elements Exposition: The tale is situated in the quiet, superstitious village of Sleepy Hollow, not very far from Tarry Town, New York. Ichabod Crane is the schoolteacher of the village and fond of ghost stories, hoping to marry Katrina Van Tassel with the aim of acquiring her family's fortune. Rising Action:             Ichabod tries to win Katrina’s affection, but her other suitor, Brom Bones, teases and competes with him. One night...

Title : Seventh grade Author: Gary Soto   Characters: -           Vitor: A seventh-grade boy trying to impress a girl -           Teresa: A girl Victor likes -           Mr. Bueller: The French teacher -           Michael: Victor’s friend who pretends to know French     Plot Elements Exposition : First day of seventh grade, and Victor is hoping to make the best of it this year, particularly with a girl named Teresa. He discusses girls and a new beginning with his friend Michael. Rising Action : Throughout the day, Victor tries to get Teresa's attention but ends up embarrassing himself: in French class, when Teresa says she can speak French, Victor pretends that he can too and blurts out random sounds, hoping to impress her. Climax: Mr. Bueller realizes what Victor is doi...

Title: The ransom of Red Chief Author: O. Henry   Characters:     -           Sam – One of the kidnappers and the narrator -           Bill – Sam’s partner in crime -           Johnny – A wild, uncontrollable boy -           Ebenezer – Red Chief’s clever father   Plot Elements Exposition : The plot involves two petty thieves, Sam and Bill, who concoct a scheme to kidnap the son of a rich man for ransom. This time around, they move to a quiet town in Alabama, where they kidnap little Johnny Dorset. Rising Action: But to their surprise, Johnny is not scared at all; instead, he thinks it's some kind of a game. He calls himself "Red Chief," behaves like an Indian warrior, and constantly pesters the kidnappers with rough games, endless talking, and wild behavior. ...

Title : All summer in a day Author: Ray Bradbury   Characters:     -           Margot- a quiet girl who remembers the son from earth -           William- a boy that bullies Margot -           The other classmate – children that also bully Margot -           The teacher- an adult who fails to stop the bullying   Plot Elements Exposition: The story takes place on Venus, where it rains all the time. The sun only appears once in seven years. A group of schoolchildren await the rare moment when the sun will appear. Margot, originally from Earth, remembers what the sun looks and feels like, unlike the other children. Rising Action: The children become jealous regarding Margot’s memories and her descriptions of the sun. They accuse her of lying and lock her in a closet...

Title: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Author: Rudyard Kipling   Character: -           Rikki-tikki-tavi- A brave and curious mongoose who protects the family -           Rag- Hates people. Dreams of ending them. -           Nagaina- nags clever and vengeful mate -           Teddy- finds a connection with someone called Rikki. -           Teddys parents - folks Rikki keeps close watch on -           Darzee - A tailorbird who warns Rikki about danger   Plot Elements Exposition : A flood washes a young mongoose, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, out of his burrow, and an English family finds him in India. They take care of him, and he becomes a part of the family. Rising Action : He soon finds out that two cobras, Nag...