The Gift of the Magi is a short story by O. Henry. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time. The plot and its twist ending are well-known, and the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony.

By : O. Henry (1862 - 1910)

The Gift of the Magi

On Christmas Eve, with only one day left to find a Christmas gift for her husband James Dillingham Young, Della sells her hair for $20 to a nearby hairdresser named Madame Sofronie. She eventually finds a platinum pocket watch chain for Jim's watch for $21 and was satisfied that she found the perfect gift for Jim.

Later that night Della admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him his present. Jim gives Della her present – a set of combs, useless now that her hair is shortened. Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him, to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her ornamental combs. Although Jim and Della are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is.

The story ends with the narrator comparing the sacrificial gifts of love with those of the Biblical Magi.