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Novels & StoriesThe Gift of the MagiO. HenryThe Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi

O. Henry

Novels & StoriesEnglish
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On Christmas Eve, Della Young has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy a present for her husband Jim, a poorly paid clerk, in their shabby New York…

Catalogue details

Author
O. Henry
Category
Novels & Stories
Language
English
Source
Project Gutenberg

About this book

On Christmas Eve, Della Young has only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy a present for her husband Jim, a poorly paid clerk, in their shabby New York flat. The couple own just two treasures: Jim's gold watch, handed down from his father and grandfather, and Della's beautiful long hair. To buy Jim a chain worthy of his watch, Della has her hair cut off and sells it, and when Jim comes home he looks at her with a strange expression, because he too has made a sacrifice.

Context and significance

O. Henry, the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862–1910), who began writing stories while in prison for embezzlement, published this tale in a New York newspaper in 1905, and it became the most famous of his hundreds of stories with their trademark twist endings. Its title recalls the wise men who brought gifts to the infant Jesus. Compare A Christmas Carol.

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