The Gift of Magi Story in English | Stories for Teenagers | @EnglishFairyTales
Summary
TLDRIn a quaint English town, lovers James and Della face financial hardship, yet their love remains strong. With Christmas approaching, both secretly sell their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other, only to discover the bittersweet irony of their sacrifices. The story of 'The Gift of the Magi' is a poignant tale of love and the true spirit of giving, where the greatest treasures are the selfless acts of the heart.
Takeaways
- π The story revolves around James and Della, a loving couple living in a small town in England.
- πΌ James works as a typist in a newspaper company, initially earning 50 pounds a month.
- π James and Della get married and live a content life until economic hardship strikes.
- πΈ Recession causes James's salary to drop to 40 pounds a month, leading to financial struggles for the couple.
- π The couple cherishes two possessions: James's inherited gold watch and Della's long, beautiful hair.
- πββοΈ Della decides to sell her hair to buy a Christmas gift for James, receiving 20 pounds for it.
- ποΈ With the money, Della purchases a platinum fob chain for James's watch, spending 21 pounds.
- π Christmas Eve brings the couple's sacrifices to light as they exchange gifts.
- π’ Della is initially shocked by James's reaction to her new appearance, but he reassures her of his love.
- π James surprises Della with a set of combs she had long desired, which she can no longer use due to her shorter hair.
- π The couple realizes they have both made sacrifices to buy gifts for each other, which are now less useful.
- π Despite their sacrifices, the love and thoughtfulness they display make them the wisest of all gift-givers.
Q & A
What is the setting of the story 'The Gift of the Magi'?
-The story is set in a small town in England.
Who are the main characters in the story?
-The main characters are James and Della, a young couple deeply in love.
What significant event happens after James gets a job and proposes to Della?
-James and Della get married in a small celebration.
How much is James's salary reduced to after the recession strikes?
-James's salary is reduced to 40 pounds a month.
What are the two most prized possessions of James and Della?
-James's gold watch, which is a family heirloom, and Della's beautiful long brown hair.
Why does Della decide to sell her hair?
-Della sells her hair because she wants to buy a Christmas gift for James but only has 87 pence.
What does Della buy for James with the money she gets from selling her hair?
-Della buys a platinum fob chain for James's gold watch.
What gift does James buy for Della, and how does he pay for it?
-James buys a set of combs that Della had long admired, and he pays for it by selling his gold watch.
How does Della react when she sees her gift from James?
-Della is initially overjoyed but then heartbroken because the gift is a set of combs for her long hair, which she has sold.
What is the irony in the story regarding the gifts they buy for each other?
-The irony is that Della sells her hair to buy a chain for James's watch, and James sells his watch to buy combs for Della's hair.
What is the moral or message of the story?
-The story conveys the message that the greatest gift is the selfless love and sacrifice demonstrated by the characters, making them the wisest of all like the Magi.
Outlines
π Love and Sacrifice in Recession
The story begins in a quaint English town where James and Della, deeply in love, face economic hardship when a recession cuts James's salary. Despite their financial struggles, they remain devoted to each other. As Christmas approaches, Della sells her prized long hair to buy a platinum fob chain for James's cherished gold watch, a family heirloom. This act of love and sacrifice sets the stage for the story's theme of selfless giving.
π The Unforeseen Gift Exchange
On Christmas Eve, Della and James exchange gifts, only to discover they've made similar sacrifices for each other. Della presents James with a set of tortoise shell combs she had long admired, unaware that James has sold his gold watch to purchase them. The revelation of their selfless acts underscores the depth of their love and the bittersweet irony of their situation, as they now have gifts that are incomplete without the sacrifices they've made.
π The True Magi of Love
The narrative concludes by drawing a parallel between the wise men, the Magi, who brought gifts to the baby Jesus, and James and Della, who have given the most valuable gifts of allβtheir most prized possessions. Their sacrifices are deemed wiser than the Magi's, as they reflect the true spirit of Christmas, the art of giving, and the depth of their love for one another.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Lovers
π‘Recession
π‘Possessions
π‘Sacrifice
π‘Christmas Eve
π‘Gifts
π‘Platinum Fob Chain
π‘Combs
π‘Tortoise Shell
π‘Magi
π‘Selfless Love
Highlights
James and Della, two lovers in a small English town, faced financial struggles after getting married.
James worked as a typist with an initial salary of 50 pounds a month, which later reduced to 40 pounds due to recession.
Della had saved only 1 pound and 87 pence for Christmas, which she considered insufficient.
James and Della took great pride in two possessions - James's gold watch and Della's long brown hair.
Della decided to sell her hair to buy a Christmas gift for James, receiving 20 pounds for it.
With the money, Della bought a platinum fob chain for James's watch, costing 21 pounds.
James was shocked to see Della with short hair, as she had cut and sold it for the gift.
James revealed that he sold his gold watch to buy Della a set of expensive tortoise shell combs she had long desired.
The combs were a perfect match for Della's long hair, but she had already sold it.
Both James and Della made significant sacrifices for each other, giving up their most prized possessions.
Their selfless acts of love demonstrated the true spirit of Christmas gift-giving.
The story highlights the theme of love and sacrifice, showing that material possessions are not as valuable as the love between two people.
The couple's actions were compared to the wise men, or magi, who brought gifts for baby Jesus, suggesting their sacrifices were wise and meaningful.
The story, 'The Gift of the Magi', is a timeless tale that continues to resonate with readers for its portrayal of love and selflessness.
The narrative emphasizes the importance of giving and the power of love to overcome material loss.
James and Della's story serves as a reminder that love is the greatest gift one can give or receive.
The couple's sacrifices ultimately brought them closer together, strengthening their bond and love for each other.
Transcripts
[Music]
the gift of the magi
once upon a time in a small town in
england
there lived two lovers james and della
[Music]
who were madly in love with each other
[Music]
when college was over james got a job as
a typist in a newspaper company
with a salary of 50 pounds a month
james was ecstatic and decided to
propose to della
della i've been in love with you since
the day i saw you for the first time
and i want to be in love with you till
the end of time
i
i want to grow old with you della
will you
marry me
oh james i want to grow old with you too
yes
i will marry you
[Music]
and thus james and della were married in
a small celebration
james rented a furnished flat at eight
pounds per week
and the couple were happy and content
it seemed that their love only grew more
and more for each other
things were going well
until one day when recession struck
and james's salary shrunk to 40 pounds
[Music]
my love
we will get through this do not worry
of course my love till i have you by my
side there is nothing that can worry me
and so the husband and the wife lived a
tight life making just about enough to
meet ends
soon it was christmas eve and the
streets of london were covered in snow
the shops were decorated with lights and
the houses with christmas trees
della meanwhile went through her purse
to find how much she had saved up
[Music]
one pound and 85
86
87 pence that's all
ah
and tomorrow is christmas what do i do
this is not enough
now there were two possessions of the
couple in which they both took mighty
pride
one was james's gold watch that had been
passed on to him by his father which was
passed on to his father by his
grandfather
the other was della's hair
della's beautiful brown hair reached
below her knees and made itself almost a
garment for her
you've got to do what you've got to do
she stood up nervously and quickly as a
tear or two escaped her eyes
della wiped the tears off her face
and putting her old brown hat on
she fluttered out the door and down the
stairs to the street
a little while later she stopped near a
store
this is it
excuse me
will you buy my hair
hmm
why don't you take your hat off and let
me have a look at it
della removed her hat and down rippled
her brown hair
lifting the mask with a practiced hand
the lady gave a nod of approval
20 pound
i will take it
[Music]
in the next couple of hours della was
out and about in the streets of london
hunting for the perfect gift for james
she found it at last
it surely has been made for james and no
one else
it was a platinum fob chain simple and
chased in design
properly proclaiming its value by
substance alone and not by meritocious
ornamentation
as all good things should do
it was even worthy of the watch
without thinking anymore she paid 21
pounds for it
and hurried home with the remaining 87
pence
at seven o'clock the coffee was made and
the frying pan was on the back of the
stove
hot and ready to cook the chops
della had curled her hair in close lying
curls
which made her look like a schoolboy
at least that's what she thought
if james doesn't kill me before he takes
a second look at me he'll say i look
like a chorus girl but what could i do
oh what could i do with an
87 pence
suddenly she heard his steps on the
stairs and turned white for a moment
please god
make him think i am still pretty please
the door opened and james stepped in he
looked thin and very serious
when he looked at della he stood still
his eyes were fixed upon her and there
was an expression in them that she could
not read and it terrified her
she at once wriggled off the table and
went for him
james darling 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 know that
my hair grows awfully fast
but james did not reply
say merry christmas james and let's be
happy
you don't know what a nice what a
beautiful nice gift i've got for you
you've cut off your hair
yes cut it off and sold it
don't you like me just as well anyhow
i'm me without my hair aren't i
james looked at her with a straight face
don't get me wrong dale
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
but if you'll unwrap that package you
may see why you had me stunned in the
first place
della tore the wrapper and when she
opened the box she let out a scream of
joy
oh wow
but her joy was only short-lived for the
gift
was a set of combs side and back the
della had warship long in a broadway
window
beautiful combs pure tortoise shell with
jeweled rims
they were expensive and her heart had
simply craved and yearned over them
without the least hope of possession
and now they were hers but the tresses
that should have adorned the coveted
adornments were gone
she hugged them tight and looked up with
teary eyes and a smile
my hair grows so fast james
and then della lept up like a little
singed cat and cried oh oh james you
have not yet seen your beautiful present
[Music]
she held it out to him eagerly upon her
open palm
[Music]
isn't it a dandy james 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 james tumbled down on
the couch and put his hands under the
back of his head and smiled
dell
let's put our christmas presents away
and keep them a while they're too nice
to use just at present
um what do you mean
ah
i sold the watch to get the money to buy
your combs
there was a sudden silence in the room
until james spoke again
and now suppose you put the chops on
[Music]
dela ran towards him and hugged him
tight
james hugged her back oh i love you so
much james
i love you more
[Music]
the magi as you know were wise men
wonderfully wise men who brought gifts
for baby jesus
they invented the art of giving
christmas presents
being wise their gifts were no doubt
wise ones
but the uneventful chronicle of two
lovers in an apartment in london who
most unwisely sacrificed for each other
the greatest treasures of their house
are the wisest of all
they are the magi
you
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