The Gift of Magi By O Henry

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all Della had. The next day would be Christmas, and she wanted to buy a gift for her husband, Jim. She had saved every penny, but it wasn't enough.

Della sat on the old couch and cried. Their small flat cost $8 a week, and Jim’s salary had dropped from $30 to $20. Life was tough.

There were two prized possessions in the Dillingham home: Jim’s gold watch that had belonged to his father and grandfather, and Della’s long, beautiful brown hair.

Suddenly, Della had an idea. She put on her old brown coat and hat, and rushed to a hair shop.

“Will you buy my hair?” she asked.

“I buy hair,” said the owner. “Take your hat off.”

Down rippled her lovely hair.

“Twenty dollars,” said the woman.

“Give it to me quick,” Della said.

With the money, she searched all over town for the perfect gift. At last, she found a simple, elegant platinum chain for Jim’s watch. It was exactly what she wanted. It cost $21. She hurried home, excited but nervous.

To repair her hair, she curled what was left into small tight curls. She looked like a schoolboy, but whispered, “Please God, let Jim think I’m still pretty.”

At 7 o'clock, dinner was ready. Della waited by the door. When Jim arrived and saw her, he stopped, staring strangely.

“Jim, darling,” she said, “don’t look at me like that. I sold my hair to buy you a Christmas gift. It’ll grow back. I had to do it. Open your present!”

Jim asked slowly, “You’ve cut off your hair?”

“Cut it off and sold it,” she said. “But I’m still me, right?”

Jim looked around and finally smiled. He handed her a package.

“Don’t worry, Dell. Nothing could make me love you less. Open this and see why I was so surprised.”

Della tore it open—and gave a cry of joy, followed by tears. Inside was a set of beautiful tortoiseshell combs she had long admired. But they were meant for her long hair—now gone.

She hugged the combs and smiled through tears. “My hair grows fast,” she said.

Then she gave Jim his gift—the chain. “Isn’t it lovely, Jim? Give me your watch so I can see how it looks.”

Jim smiled, lay on the couch, and said, “Dell, I sold the watch to buy you the combs.”

And so, they had each sold their most prized possession to buy a gift for the other. They were the wisest of gift-givers—like the Magi.