Cabbages and Kings

by O. Henry

"Cabbages and Kings" by O. Henry is a novel published in 1904 made up of interlinked short stories set in the fictitious Republic of Anchuria, a Central American country. Inspired by O. Henry's time in Honduras, the book weaves together loosely connected episodes featuring characters who appear, disappear, and occasionally return. The novel introduces the now-famous phrase "banana republic" to describe Anchuria's fruit-dependent economy and the American companies that influenced its politics. Each story ultimately connects in unexpected ways.