On the basis of the story you have read, write a character sketch of the boy.Īnswer: In the story “The Ransom of Red Chief”, Sam and Bill kidnapped Johnny Dorset, a ten-year-old boy, for ransom. What was the excuse Bill and Sam made up to convince the boy to go home?Īnswer: Bill and Sam told the boy that his father had bought him a gun and that they were going to hunt bears the next day. How did the boy’s father respond to the letter sent by the kidnappers? Do you find this funny? Why?Īnswer: In the story “The Ransom of Red Chief”, the boy’s father responded with a counter-proposal, asking the kidnappers to bring his son home and pay him instead 250 dollars.Įbenezer’s response is funny since he is supposed to be concerned about his son and give them the ransom that has been demanded, however, knowing his son’s personality, he decides to ask for money from the kidnappers instead.ġ2. He was satisfied with the news that all the people were worried that Ebenezer Dorset’s son had gone missing or was stolen.ġ1. The irony in the story “The Ransom of Red Chief” is that the kidnappers had to pay the father to return his son instead of getting the ransom money.Īnswer: While he was visiting the Post Office, Sam wanted to hear people gossip about the kidnapping of the boy. The men hand over the money and the boy to the father and flee from the scene. Because the father understands how intolerable his son is and how eager his captors will be to escape the unruly child, he turns down their offer and offers to take him off their hands for $250. They write a ransom note to the boy’s father demanding $2,000 but later lowers the ransom amount from $2,000 to $1,500, believing that the father will not pay the amount. He calls himself “Red Chief,” and continues to annoy his captors with his constant chatter, malicious pranks, and demands they play tiresome games with him, like riding 90 miles on his back while pretending to be an Indian scout.

However, as soon as the kidnappers arrive at the hideout with the boy, the boy begins to enjoy them. Summary: In the story “The Ransom of Red Chief”, Sam and Bill, two minor criminals, kidnap Johnny, the 10-year-old red-haired son of Ebenezer Dorset, a prominent citizen, for ransom. Henry which is a part of the Class 12 syllabus for students studying under Nagaland Board of School Education ( NBSE). Here, you will find a summary and questions/answers to the story “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O.

Author of the ransom of red chief