The Gift of the Magi is a short story about a young couple called Jim and Della. They are poor but very much in love. Being
poor, they do not have many possessions. Jim's prized possession is his gold watch, which was handed down to him by his grandfather and father. Della's prized possession is her long,
beautiful hair.
It is Christmas. Della counts her money and discovers she has only one dollar and eighty seven cents to buy a Christmas
present for her husband. She is determined to buy him a nice present and make him happy. One dollar and eighty seven cents is not enough. She decides to sell her hair. Her hair is sold for twenty dollars. She buys a nice chain for Jim's watch for twenty one dollars and hurries home with the chain and eighty seven cents.
Jim starts at the appearance of Della. She tells him she sold her hair to buy a present for him. He gives her his present. It is a set of combs for her beautiful long hair. Della then gives Jim her present, asking him to put the chain on his watch. Jim cannot do so, for he has sold his watch to buy the combs for Della.
It is a beautiful story of love that shows us it is more blessed to give than to receive.