"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry. O Henry is a novelist in America. This story is his masterpiece.
I will introduce the content of the story.
Della is praiseworthy woman. She is worried about the Christmas gift for husband Jim. But she had about only two dollars. It was not enough. She sat down and started to cry.
She had a good idea. They owned two beautiful things. One was Della’s hair. The other was Jim’s watch. Della thought that she bought something shiny, something like this watch.
She looked at herself in the mirror, and she got out the home. She walked down the stairs to the street. She went to a shop. The sign read “All Kind of Hair Goods”.An old woman of shop assistant felt Della’s hair and looked at it closely. And she paid Della the twenty dollars. Then she cut most of her hair off. Now her hair was very short.
She went another store. She could buy Jim a Christmas present, an expensive present there. It was a shiny silver chain for Jim’s watch.
She felt happy. She went back the home, and she started to cook the dinner.
A few minutes later, Jim came home. Jim looked at Della. He did not say anything. He just looked at her strangely. Della desperately tried to explain about her hair. She wanted to be hate by Jim. But Jim walked close to Della, and he held her tightly. He said that he loved her eternal. Then Jim took a package and showed her. She tried to open the package carefully. At first she laughed happily. Then suddenly she began to cry. There were two beautiful combs. She had wanted them for a long time. But she did not have long hair now. She could not wear the combs in her hair. She held the combs to her heart, and she decided to wait growing her hair.
And she remembered Jim’s present. She put the watch chain in his hand. But he sat down on the couch and smiled, and asked her to put our presents away now. The truth of the matter is that he sold the watch so he could buy the combs.
The author introduce about the Magi. The Magi were three wise men. They gave the first Christmas presents.
In Christian tradition, the Magi also referred to as the Three Wise Men, Three Kings, or Kings from the East. They are a group of distinguished foreigners who are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity and in celebrations of Christmas.
Since they were wise men, their gifts were probably also wise. Della and Jim sold unwisely. But they were the wisest gift givers.
I read this book first time when I was an elementary school student. I was stuck by the Christmas mood of a foreign country and their heartwarming episode. I read it again through several years, and I was moved the story. Though, this story is short, it gives me an important lesson.
I think that I have to treasure my family, friends and things.
I always think that I go the shortest way. I think I want to be a wise person. But if someone will understand me, I satisfy only it.
Reference
O, Henry. (2004). The Gift of the Magi. Japan: Kirihara Shoten.
(594 words)
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