The Gift of The Magi: Adapted From

adapted from
The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Della counted it three times. One dollar
and eighty-seven cents. And the next day was Christmas.
There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and cry. So Della
did it.
Della finished her cry and dried her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the
window and looked out dully. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87. She
had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week
doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87
to buy a present for Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for
him. Something fine and rare—something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of
being with Jim.
Catching her reflection in the window, Della suddenly whirled around. Her eyes were
shining brilliantly. Returning to her reflection, Della pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full
length.
Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both
took great pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The
other was Della's long, beautiful hair.
So now Della's hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It
reached below her knees and made itself almost a garment for her. Quickly and nervously, she
pulled it back up. She faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the
worn red carpet.
She put on her old brown jacket and hat. Then she fluttered out the door and down the
stairs to the street.
She stopped at a store with a sign that read: "Hair Goods of All Kinds." Della ran up the
stairs and collected herself, panting.
"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take your hat off and let's have a look at it."
1
The Gift of the Magi O. Henry
Down rippled the brown cascade. "Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a
practiced hand.
"Give it to me quick," said Della.
For the next two hours, Della ransacked the stores for Jim's present.
She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other
like it in any of the stores. It was a simple platinum chain. Its simplicity gave it the perfect grace.
It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it, she knew that it must be Jim's. It was
like him. Quietness and value—the description applied to both. It cost her twenty-one dollars.
She hurried home with the 87 cents.
At seven o'clock, Della heard Jim's step on the stairs, and she turned white for just a
moment. She whispered to herself: "Please make him think I am still pretty."
The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it.
Jim stopped inside the door. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an
expression in them that she could not read. It terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor
disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply
stared at her with a peculiar expression on his face.
"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold
because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out
again—you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows very fast. Let's be happy.
You don't know what a beautiful gift I've got for you."
"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, as if he had not arrived at that fact yet.
"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm still me."
Jim looked about the room curiously.
"You say your hair is gone?" he said again.
"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you—sold and gone, too. Please, don't
be mad at me. I sold it for you."
Jim quickly woke from his trance. He embraced Della.
Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.
"I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could
make me like you any less,” Jim said. “But if you'll unwrap that package, you will see why you
had me so confused."
2
The Gift of the Magi O. Henry
Della tore at the string and paper. And then she let out an ecstatic scream of joy followed
by tears of sadness.
For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side and back, that Della had wanted for so
long. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims—just the shade to wear in her
beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew. Her heart had simply craved
and yearned for them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but her
beautiful hair was gone.
She hugged them to her bosom, and soon she looked up with dim eyes and a smile and
said: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"
And then Della leaped up and cried, "Oh, oh!"
Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open
palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright spirit.
"Isn't it beautiful, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a
hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."
Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his
head and smiled.
"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. They're
too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs."

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