LitReading - Original Short Stories and Classic Tales

The Five Boons of Life — A Classic Short Fable by Mark Twain

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A man is offered five gifts by a fairy, and told that only one of them holds any real value. He is asked to choose. What follows is one of Mark Twain'...

The Crevice — An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In April, 2026, an American F-15E Strike Eagle went down over western Iran. The weapons officer ejected into the Zagros Mountains and was eventually r...

The Schartz-Metterklume Method – A Classic Short Story by Saki

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Lady Carlotta misses her train, and a stranger on the platform mistakes her for the new governess. Rather than correct the error, Lady Carlotta decide...

The Telegram That Shouldn't Exist – An Original Short Story

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

During the Civil War, the military's telegraph network was run by civilians. Teenagers, some of them. Elias Murrow was nineteen, careful, and precise....

The Sphinx Without a Secret – A Classic Short Story by Oscar Wilde

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A chance reunion at a Paris café. A photograph of a woman who looks like she's hiding something. And a story that asks a question Wilde never quite a...

The Committee Committee – An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Committee Committee is a parable set in a village where things run smoothly—because they always have.Problems are addressed. Responsibilities ar...

The Rips – An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There are things we expect from the world.Walls stay still. Rooms hold their shape. The spaces we live in behave.And when they don’t, we look for ex...

My Watch – An Original Short Story by Mark Twain

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

First published in 1870, “My Watch” is one of Mark Twain’s sharpest short comic essays. What begins as a simple adjustment to a timepiece become...

The Arrangement - An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every crime begins as a solution. At least to someone. This is a story about a solution. A rented room. A promise. And a man who believes he is doing ...

The Doll's House – A Classic Short Story by Katherine Mansfield

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Published in 1921, The Doll’s House is one of Katherine Mansfield’s most quietly powerful stories. Set in a small New Zealand community,...

Civic Duty - An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This story is not about the America we live in.It’s about an America that could exist—slowly, legally, and quietly—if people stop asking questio...

To Build a Fire – a Classic Short Story by Jack London

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Set in the frozen Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, it follows a man traveling alone through temperatures so extreme they defy ordinary experience....

In My Dreams – An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a quiet story about love that arrives too late, and lingers in unexpected ways.About two people who find each other where they never expected ...

The Necklace – A Classic Short Story by Guy De Maupassant

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant is a classic tale of ambition, illusion, and unintended consequences.In this short, elegant story, a young woma...

The Right Call – An Original Short Story by Don McDonald

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special presentation of my original short story, “The Right Call,” first released on my companion podcast, New Tales Told.For now, I’l...

The Bet – A Classic Short Story by Anton Chekov

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Bet is a devastating meditation on freedom, knowledge, money, and the illusions we cling to when we mistake intellect for wisdom and wealth f...

The Eternal Code — A Special Presentation of an Original Short Story

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special presentation of my new original short story, "The Eternal Code," first released on my companion podcast, New Tales Told.Litreading w...

Litreading – Classic Short Stories Live On

01 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Every story you've ever loved learned it from somewhere. The plot twist, the heartbreak, the monster in the dark—somebody wrote it first. Narrator D...

Uncle Richard’s New Year Dinner – A Classic Short Story by Lucy Maud Montgomery

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Uncle Richard’s New Year Dinner is a tender, early-20th-century family story about estrangement, reconciliation, and the quiet power of kindnes...

The Boy with the Box – A Classic Christmas Story by Mary Griggs Van Voorhis

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This holiday story will only be available for a limited time on Litreading, but will always be available on our holiday story podcast, Season's Readin...

A Visit from St. Nicholas or 'Twas the Night Before Christmas - A Classic Christmas Verse

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard it dozens of times, so why not once more. Here's a Visit from St. Nicholas, was it penned by Clement Moore? We are expanding our universe...

On Christmas Day in the Morning – A Classic Christmas Story by Grace S. Richmond

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

Jimmy Scarecrow's Christmas by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While this is primarily a story for children, Christmas is the perfect time to explore our inner child and share that spirit with today’s kids. This...

A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum - A Classic Christmas Story

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Santa and his friends face the most challenging Christmas in their long history as Santa is kidnapped. We are expanding our universe of short story po...

Christmas Every Day by William Dean Powells

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For many children, Christmas is the best day of the year. Yet, often it’s for selfish reasons. Some kids like it so much that they might wish that C...

A Stolen Christmas by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman - A Classic Christmas Story

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes we fall so far that we are tempted to cross lines we never would have in better times. Feelings of inadequacy can become particularly acute ...

A Chaparral Christmas Gift – Classic Western Christmas Story by O. Henry

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

Reginald's Christmas Revel by Saki

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This holiday tale features Reginald, a fictional young-man born to the Victorian upper crust in England, who finds himself at a stuffy family Christma...

Christmas at Red Butte by Lucy Maud Montgomery - A Classic Christmas Story

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

The Gospel According to Joan by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry - A Classic Christmas Story

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

The Burglar's Christmas – A Classic Holiday Tale by Elizabeth L. Seymour

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

A Set of Poe – A Classic Christmas Story by George Ade

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

Three Thanksgiving Kisses – A Classic Holiday Story by Edward Payson Roe

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

The Purple Dress – A Classic Holiday Story by O. Henry

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen – A Classic Holiday Story by O. Henry

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is only available here during the holidays, but can be heard year-round at Season's Readings, a part of Short Storyverses at shortstoryvers...

An Angel in Disguise by T.S. Arthur

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Without individual compassion, the good, old days were rarely good for orphaned or disabled children. We are expanding our universe of short story pod...

A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Early in the US Civil War, families, particularly those in the western part of Virginia (now the state of West Virginia), were torn apart over conflic...

The Law of Life – a Classic Short Story by Jack London

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jack London takes us into the frozen silence of the Yukon and leaves us beside an aging chief who has reached the appointed end of his trail. As the t...

The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Not all dragons are fire breathing monsters bent on destruction. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Sho...

Old Well-Well by Zane Grey

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Professional baseball in United States dates back more than 150 years. It has been considered the great American sport since the 19th century. Popular...

Hills Like White Elephants – A Classic Short Story by Earnest Hemingway

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is one of the most celebrated short stories ever written — a masterclass in subtext,...

Clovis on Parental Responsibility by Saki

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Saki's recurring character, Clovis takes on an overly proud motherWe are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Sh...

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Twain's first popular story of a hardcore gambler in a mining camp during the Gold Rush. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on...

The Skylight Room – A Classic Short Story by O. Henry

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

O. Henry had a gift for wrapping heartbreak in humor. His stories feel light, almost playful—until that last line hits and you realize he’s been q...

The Tell Tale Heart-A Classic Horror Story by Edgar Allan Poe

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween is the season of the macabre and one the greatest authors of dark frightening fiction was Edgar Allen Poe. You can cover the body. Hide the ...

The Hanging Stranger–a Retro Sci-Fi Horror Story by Philip K. Dick

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is one of those scary stories that sneaks up on you. It looks like just another day in small-town America, sometime around the early 1950s. ...

The Haunted Mind–a Scary Season Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since the dawn of our species, we have been bewildered by about that strange period of altered consciousness that occurs just before, during, and at t...

Diary Of A Madman–a Classic Tale of Terror by Guy de Maupassant

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this truly chilling tale, we explore the darkest parts of the human mind - the hidden recesses where derangement resides.A word of caution: this ta...

The Cats of Ulthar-a Classic Scary Story by H. P. Lovecraft

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every October, we creep into the scary season on Litreading, digging deep into the trove of classic horror tales from around the world. Some of the mo...

Yuki-Onna–a Scary Season Story by Lafcadio Hearn

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ghost stories have been told around the world and are often based on mythical creatures or spirits. Those living in the cold, snowy regions of Japan c...

Murder of Crows – an Original Short Story by Don McDonald

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Please note: "Murder of Crows" is one of the early episodes of my new podcast, New Tales Told. I published it here to share it with my large Litreadin...

The Most Dangerous Game–a Classic Thriller by Richard Connell

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We reprise another classic thriller from Litreading's archives for this year's scary season,In this episode, we go on an adventure off the coast of So...

The Black Cat–a Classic Scary Story by Edgar Allen Poe

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here is one of the greatest gothic horror stories of all time, originally produced for Litreading in 2019.As Halloween approaches, our tales of horror...

The Willow Walk–a Classic Thriller by Sinclair Lewis

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This dark, thriller deserves to be included in our reprise of classic stories for the scary season. Written by one of America’s greatest writers, Si...

Empire of the Ants–a Classic Scary Sci-Fi Story by H.G. Wells

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is the scary season without a classic monster story? Like the campy creature features of the 50s and 60s, this story features a tiny annoyance tu...

Luella Miller–A Chilling Classic Short Story by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone in town has a story about Luella Miller. She never seems to lift a hand, yet somehow, help is always at her side. And those who give it—wel...

The Boarded Window—a Scary Season Story by Ambrose Bierce

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What led a man to live an isolated life at his ramshackle cabin, with a boarded up window, in the former American wilderness? What is the tragic story...

Doctor Chevalier's Lie–a Classic Short Story by Kate Chopin

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Chopin’s Doctor Chevalier’s Lie is a moving meditation on compassion in the face of tragedy. Set against the backdrop of a harsh an...

Hands—a Classic Short Story by Sherwood Anderson

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can we tell the difference between benevolence and predation? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Sh...

An Alpine Divorce—a Classic Short Story by Robert Barr

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when hate overwhelms love? We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVerses. Listen to...

Good Souls—a Classic Short Story by Dorothy Parker

27 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have every reason to love these people, yet we don't. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short Story...

Handful of Clay—a Classic Short Story by Henry van Dyke

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every day we are bombarded by images of unattainable beauty, regaled with stories of fame, and envious of those who have attained great wealth. It’s...

The Idyl of Red Gulch—a Classic Short Story by Bret Harte

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A young woman stumbles upon a drunk with whom she forms a bond until she learns more. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new...

The Last Leaf—a Classic Short Story by O. Henry

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A sick young woman is saved by a final kind gesture. We are expanding our universe of short story podcasts on our new podcast channel, Short StoryVers...

A Chance of Death–a Modern Short Story by Don McDonald

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Please note: "A Chance of Death" is the inaugural episode of my new podcast, New Tales Told. I published it here first to share it with my large Litre...

Araby—a Classic Short Story by James Joyce

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

James Joyce’s “Araby” is ranked among the pantheon of greatest short stories ever written. In this timeless coming of age tale an adolescent boy...

A Case of Premeditation–a Classic Short Story by R. Austin Freeman

21 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can an almost perfectly planned crime be solved? That question is answered in this classic mystery by one of the early 20th Century's most popular, fi...

The Clock That Went Backward—a Classic Short Story by Edward Page Mitchell

20 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For much of human existence we have questioned the concept of time. Is it always a constant or can it be manipulated, allowing us to move forward or b...

The Model Millionaire–a Classic Short Story by Oscar Wilde

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a power that comes from giving without expectation of reward. A self-sacrificing spirit is the theme for Irish author Oscar Wilde’s short s...

The Rocking Horse Winner–a Classic Short Story by D.H. Lawrence

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Note from Don: Listening back to this story before posting it, I have to say that it moved me more than most – and I spent a few days reading, narra...

Four Men In A Cave-a Classic Short Story by Stephen Crane

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mankind has always loved to explore sometimes crossing great wildernesses, but more often just poking around in our own backyards. This light-hearted ...

The Girl and the Photograph–a Classic Short Story by Lucy Maud Montgomery

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A fleeting glimpse in the pines, a photograph stolen from a friend’s mantel, and a correspondence born from mistaken identity—The Girl and the Pho...

A Country Cottage-a Classic Short Story by Anton Chekhov

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Life has a nasty habit of throwing us curves that we can either cause us long-term misery or force us to make the best of a bad situation as illustrat...

The Mark on the Wall - a Classic Short Story by Virginia Woolf

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Virginia Woolf demonstrates how simply focusing on one thing has the power to unleash torrents of thoughts and memories.Born Adeline Virginia Stephen ...

The Romance of a Busy Broker - a Classic Short Story by O. Henry

13 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are those for whom work becomes an obsession to the detriment of their personal lives. The businessman in our next story gives new meaning to th...

The McWilliamses And The Burglar Alarm - a Classic Short Story by Mark Twain

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We aren't the first generation to be frustrated by advancing technology. More than a century ago, new fangled products were making people crazy like t...

The Widow's Cruise–a Classic Short Story by Frank Stockton

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have been sharing stories with each other since the beginning of time. On occasion these tales have been known to grow a bit tall, as was the case ...

Desiree's Baby–a Classic Short Story by Kate Chopin

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Racism has always been an ugly part of the human condition. Yet, the horrors of racism in America are most undeniably illustrated by the treatment of...

The Log - a Classic Short Story by Guy de Maupassant

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The lure of an illicit affair is not a new facet of human nature. People have been both tempting and tempted throughout time. But for a sudden twist o...

The Story-Teller–a Classic Short Story by Saki

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most stories for children try to teach a lesson—this one tries to blow them up. In The Storyteller by Saki, an overstuffed train car, thre...

The Three Day Blow–a Classic Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our second tale in this story series by a young Ernest Hemingway picks up a few months after our last story, "The End of Something," which you might w...

The End of Something–a Classic Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

07 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This story is part of a series of tales written by a young Earnest Hemingway. It’s a “slice of life” story about the conflicting emotions in a r...

Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans–A Classic Short Story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

06 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the plans for a top-secret British defense project are stolen and the apparent thief is found dead, the government turns to legendary detective S...

That's Marriage–A Classic Short Story by Edna Ferber

06 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Marriage takes the simple concept of procreation and turns it into a lifelong commitment that can, at times, lead to unexpected anger and resentment. ...

Hermann the Irascible–A Classic Short Story by Saki

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How times have changed. Just over a century ago, women were still fighting for the right to vote and the prevailing belief among men was that they wer...

The Yellow Wallpaper–A Classic Short Story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Women’s health issues have long been explained away as emotional issues due to their role as the “weaker sex.” Serious illnesses were diagnosed ...

A Slice of Life–A Classic Short Story by P. G. Wodehouse

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This witty tale is about a veritable snake-oil salesman who uses his wares to help win the love of a beautiful young ward of an English Baronet. Briti...

An Idle Fellow–A Classic Short Story by Kate Chopin

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can we best learn life’s secrets during our short lives? Is the best student the one with eyes fixed on the words in a book or focused on the wo...

The Aged Mother–A Classic Short Story by Matsuo Basho

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Life in the ancient world was often brutal and cruel. Resources were often limited leading to leaders ruthless edicts. In this old Japanese folktale, ...

Coco–A Classic Short Story by Guy de Maupassant

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Human cruelty is nothing new. It has been a demon we have had to battle since the dawn of our kind. Yet, we also have the capacity to defeat our callo...

The White Heron–A Classic Short Story by Sarah Orne Jewett

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This tale flips the traditional "boy meets girl" fairy-tale narrative by introducing a strong-willed nature loving girl who puts her own desires and b...

Before the Law–A Classic Short Story by Franz Kafka

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here is a story for those times when you only have a few minutes for a story. While not long itself, this incredibly Kafkaesque parable may leave you ...

The Prophet - Part One–A Classic Novel by Khalil Gibran

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For almost a century, the profound words of The Prophet have stirred the hearts and moved the souls of millions of readers around the world. We are ex...

The Prophet - Part Two–A Classic Novel by Khalil Gibran

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here is the second half of Kahlil Gibran's global bestselling book with sage advice on pain and pleasure, good and evil, and the inevitability of deat...

The Church With an Overshot Wheel–A Classic Short Story by O. Henry

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Loneliness can grind a man down like a millstone—yet grief, transformed, can become the miller’s divine salvation. A widowed man turns a forgotten...

August Heat–A Classic Short Story by W. F. Harvey

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Record summer temperature’s take their toll on both our physical and mental health. Extreme weather has been known to bring about strange and often ...

The Story of an Hour–A Classic Short Story by Kate Chopin

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Grief and heartbreak are the typical reactions to the loss of a loved one, but other emotions may lurk within. We are expanding our universe of short ...

The Eyes Have It–a Classic Short Story by Philip K. Dick

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

So far, all of our public domain stories were created prior to 1925. However, there are a few newer tales that are no longer copyright protected. From...

The Looking Glass–a Classic Short Story by Anton Chekov

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On a cold New Year’s Eve, Nellie peers into a mirror, searching for a glimpse of her happily-ever-after. Instead, the glass betrays her—offering n...