Free books / The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi
A1 · English · Free ?
Della and Jim struggle to make ends meet but want to give one another meaningful Christmas presents. Each possesses something especially precious, and each independently decides to surrender it for the other’s happiness. Their choices produce an unexpected exchange in which practical usefulness and emotional value no longer coincide. With affectionate irony, O. Henry turns a modest domestic problem into a reflection on love and generosity. The ending asks readers to reconsider what makes a gift wise or valuable.
General English edition: simplified and original readings, with word and culture notes. No translations.
Start reading
Della counts her money. Then she counts it again. She has one dollar and eighty-seven cents. Tomorrow is Christmas, and this is all she has for Jim's present.
For months, she has tried to save a little money from the shopping. But food and the small flat cost money too. Jim now earns only twenty dollars a week. Before, he earned thirty.
Della sits on the old sofa and cries. She loves Jim. She wants to give him something beautiful, something special.
Their home is small and poor. Downstairs, the doorbell does not work. The name by the door is James Dillingham Young. But when he comes home, Della calls him Jim and puts her arms around him.
There are two things that they love to look at. Jim has a gold watch. It belonged to his father and his grandfather. Della has beautiful brown hair. It falls past her knees.
Now Della stops crying. She goes to the window. Outside, she sees a grey cat in a grey yard. Everything seems sad.
Then she turns quickly towards the mirror. She lets down her long hair. It falls around her like a brown coat.
For a moment, she looks at it. A few tears fall onto the carpet. Then she puts her hair up again, puts on her old hat and jacket, and goes out.