9 short stories that will make you wonder why you haven't been reading short stories all this long

The author is not what you would call a bookworm. However, he grew tired of reading the 10 reasons why this and 10 reasons why that things that he sometimes writes himself. The author then took to wondering what people read before these top 10 lists took over the internet and the internet took over the world. He decided to ask the internet and the internet pointed him to some good old short stories. The author decided  to point you, dear readers to the 9 short stories that he found to be most entertaining.

1. The Ransom Of Red Chief by O.Henry

William Sydney Porter, known better by his pen name O.Henry is a true master of storytelling. His stories are light hearted funny ones and are known to have a "sting in the tail". The one being discussed here involves a kidnapping and it is not the kidnapped person who suffers! Funny things keep happening throughout the story you'll have a lot of rofl and lol moments. Dunno if O.Henry would appreciate modern society's way of complimenting funny things.

Read it here.

   

2. The Fall Of The House Of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

Don't read this one at night under a torchlight like the author of this blog did. It is established that Edgar Allen Poe suffered from depression and his stories can be described by the word weird. Well, weird but exceptional at the same time. It contains a lot of unconventional themes like incest, reanimation of the dead and likewise. The story ends in a climax and that is one climax to read! It is sure to give you some scares.

Read it here.

3. The Prize Poem by P.G.Wodehouse

The plot of this short story is as simple as three different students copying the same poem to submit for their school's poetry competition which is mandatory for all the students. P.G Wodehouse wittily brings out the lazy and lackluster attitude of students towards something that they are made to do and do not want to do. The principal takes the incident as a challenge to his authority. How the events unfold thereafter makes for an interesting read.

Read it here.

4. The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond

This story is written in the form of a first person narrative. For a brief period of time, Mr. Bond suffered from blindness. As he travels alone by train, a girl whom he senses to be beautiful comes to sit across him. He doesn't want the girl to know that he is blind and starts a conversation. This conversation and the revelation that follows makes this story an awesome read.

Read it here.

5. Dusk by H.H.Munro

Norman Gortsby is sitting on  a park bench. The other end of the bench is occupied by an old man who is wearing a carnation. Norman Gortsby begins to contemplate about the time of the day i.e. Dusk. He considers it to be the time of those who have been defeated by life and he considers the old man to be one of them. Soon, the old man goes away and his place is taken by another person who says that he is new to the city and has lost his way as he came out of his hotel  to buy a cake of soap. He asks Gortsby for help and what follows after is an awesome second part of the story.

Read it here.

6. The Cop And The Anthem by O.Henry

Its O.Henry again! No I am not biased, he is actually that good. This story is about a homeless man in New York named Soapy. It is the winter season and terribly cold for a homeless person to survive. So much so that Soapy decides to spend his winter in a prison. The prison, with its warm blankets and guaranteed meals is definitely more hospitable for a homeless guy than the cold streets of New York. Soapy tries to get himself arrested and fails ludicrously many times.  He then comes to the street where he lived as a child. Those memories fill him with inspiration and he decides to turn his life around. What follows after this, no one can expect!

Read it here.

7. At Home by Anton Chekhov

A treat from Russia, this one is about a father trying to convince his infant son not to smoke!  Eugene Bikovsy is a lawyer whose 7 year old son Seriozha is placed under the care of a governess as Eugene's wife is no more. The conversation between the father and the son makes for an awesome read.

Read it here.

8. The Cabuliwallah by Rabindranath Tagore

Asia's first Nobel winner writes about his five year old daughter, Mini's  friendship with a dry fruits peddler. The friendship ends abruptly after the Kabuliwala is convicted of a crime and sent to prison. He is released years after and comes to meet Mini on the day of her wedding. A good read, this one.

Read it here.

9. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

Mathilde is born relatively poor, but dreams of an aristocratic life. She eventually marries a low paid clerk who tries his best to keep her happy. After a lot of begging, he somehow manages to get two tickets to a ministry of education party. Mathilde loses something that she has borrowed for the party. She tries to compensate and the story takes a different course.

Read it here.

8 reasons why working from home is awesome.

According to a survey by Weigo (weigo, 2013), home-based workers accounted for 15.2 percent of the non-agricultural workforce of our country. In the urban landscape, working from home has started losing the reputation of being an entitlement of only the sick and of pregnant women. A lot of people like to take a day off from the office and complete their work from home if the nature of their work permits them to do so. Crapanalytics has come up with a list of reasons of why working from home is more awesome than you think.

1.     You get to spend more time with your pet.

Dog owners would better understand the importance of this point. Doesn’t your heart break when you have to lock up your puppy in your flat/home and then leave it that way for the entirity of the day? Your only moment of redemption is when you come back home and deliver your pup from its loneliness. Moreover, you realise that loneliness makes the pet do unimaginable things like pooping on your bed or eating up your documents. Having a pet is nice because it is your best opportunity of non-human interactions. Why not work from home for a day and keep patting and caressing your pet while you work?  Who knows, one day your pet might learn what you do at work. In that case, you can ask your dog to your job for you sometimes.

2.     You can play loud music.

Music lovers(like the author) would understand how musiyc can pump up your productivity. Now, you can’t take your music system to office with you and most bosses take exception to their employees plugging in earphones at work. Your best chance at mixing music with work is working from home. You can start with playing soft beats at the beginning and then switch to heavy beats once you enter your zone. You would then finish up your work and then realise that your job isn’t that boring afterall.

3.     You can wear pyjamas.

No piece of clothing is as comfortable as your pyjamas. The author knows the ridicule one faces while wearing pyjamas to one’s office. You  can always take a moment to admire the beauty of your pyjama and then return back to work. Many people find informal clothes to be more comfortable than formal clothes that the rules of their office require them to wear. Working from home gives you the freedom to wear what you are comfortable with and in many cases this increases your productivity. Just be sure to put on something decent everytime you have to answer the doorbell to be prepared just I case your boss decides to give you a visit.

4.     No fear of your boss looking over your shoulder.

We have all faced that awkward moment while plaing farmville at work when we hear,”What are you doing?”Looking back, one finds the Mr.nogamesallowedatworkinthisoffice i.e. your boss and then you have to give lengthy explanations like, “I was just taking a break”. Many people(like the author) are more productive when they are their own boss i.e. they are working in an unsupervised environment. Being your own boss is one of the many freedoms that working from home offers you. You can make a timetable according to your likes. You  can take an early luch or you can take a late lunch.

5.     Save travel time.

Commuting to work is a headache in most big cities of India. In cities like Mumbai, it often takes upto 2 hours just to reach your office changing trains and then walking to stations. You can put this time to some productive use while you work from home. You will  also be spared the sound of honking horns and the feel of crowded public transport. You’ll end your day with more energy and less frustration. It would be like taking a day off and still completing  your work.

6.     Spend more time with your family.

A lot of working parents in metros have to leave their children at a day care centre while going to work. The children, as a result start having a distance from their parents. “Sunday wala uncle” is a term coined for fathers who are at work for the entirity of the week. As a result, the child gets to see his father only on Sundays. To save yourself from such reputation, it is mandatory that you take atleast a day off to work from home in a week and spend some quality time with your child and then maybe go to a nearby park in the evening. Working from home is also a wonderful opportunity for single mothers who can work and look after their children at the same time. Spending some time at home with your spouse is beneficial for your relationships too.

7.     Know your neighbourhood.

Facebook and Whatsapp connect us with friends and realtives in far off places. But what about those people who live next door? It is important to have greater interactions with your neighbours than the occassional hi when you catch him entering his front door the same time you are entering yours. During lunch, you can invite your neighbour over or maybe pay him a visit. Having a good aquaintance with your neighbour  is important as he is going to be the immediate point of contact during an emergency.

8.     An opportunity to keep your house clean.

You can utilise the breaks during work at office that you spend beside the water-cooler  gossiping with your colleague about the new girl in office. You can wipe your dining table at this time or maybe use a vacuum cleaner to tidy the floor if you are working from home. You can save yourself from the mess your house/flat becomes during the week due to busy work schedules and then you have to spend your Sunday cleaning the house.  You will be surprised to know how clean and organised your house/flat can look once you give in a little effort and time.