The mood of "The Ransom of Red Chief" is light, fun, and comical. That is really odd considering that the story is about the kidnapping and ransoming of young Johnny Dorset. That should be a serious, dark, and foreboding mood. The mood is as fun as it is because Bill and Sam are bumbling idiots. On top of that, Johnny Dorset is essentially the devil's child. Not only does he play Bill and Sam like a fiddle, he makes their lives miserable. One of the funniest turns in the entire story is when Ebenezer Dorset only agrees to take his son back from Bill and Sam if they pay Ebenezer.
I think you are a little high in your demands, and I hereby make you a counter-proposition, which I am inclined to believe you will accept. You bring Johnny home and pay me two hundred and fifty dollars in cash, and I agree to take him off your hands.
Bill practically begs Sam to take the offer. I've always liked to think of "The Ransom of Red Chief" as the original Home Alone. Plot-wise, that movie shouldn't be funny, but its overall tone and mood is completely comical, which is what this O. Henry story is too.
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