This story is reminiscent of the great film “the sting” in 1973, with Robert of Retford and Paul Newman in the lead roles. The real crook is the iron rule, he will not take the man a single dollar, if anything will give him in return.
Both works — and the story, and the film is a wonderful (each in their field) samples sharp satire, making fun of such familiar traits of human nature as folly and vanity. And if with the second still it is possible somehow to cope (with strong desire), the first, probably still is, incurable.
That’s why the story written more than a hundred years ago, is so relevant ever today, and it will after hundred years.
People will always seek for easy money: it’s so easy to convince yourself that everything is “stupid” and “blind” not seeing “gold”, which “shines” from right under their feet, and only “one I am “smart” — see. «About the plot it’s hard to say anything without giving a giant spoiler. So it’ll slam.
But because that’s what the whole “thing”: sometimes this “Shine” becoming so bright that it completely denies “seeing” the last remnants of reason…Greed, stupidity and conceit — a bad backup, if you’re trying to be professional scammers.
Writes O. Henry — like the Olympics for archery, arrows put “the Apple” — ten, nine, ten! Only a great humorist, with a huge literary talent, could write such stories.