The Gift of the Magi
동방박사의 선물
O. Henry (1862–1910)
The Story
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It was the day before Christmas, and Della had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents.She wanted to buy a present for her husband, Jim, but it was not nearly enough.
Della and Jim did not have much money, but each of them owned one treasure.Jim had a gold watch that had belonged to his father and his grandfather.Della had beautiful brown hair that fell in waves below her knees.
Della looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, and then she made a decision.She put on her old brown coat, went out, and sold her long hair for twenty dollars.
With the money she bought a plain platinum chain for Jim's gold watch.Then she went home and waited, nervous about what Jim would think of her short hair.
When Jim came in, he stopped and stared at her with a strange look on his face.He had sold his gold watch to buy a set of pretty combs for Della's long hair.
Neither gift could be used that night, yet each had given the other everything they had.Of everyone who gives gifts, these two were the wisest of all.
Comprehension Check
1. Why couldn't Della buy Jim a present at first?
2. How did Della get the money for Jim's gift?
3. Why was Jim's gift a surprise at the end?
Vocabulary
noun
treasure
보물, 소중한 것
Each of them owned one treasure.
두 사람에게는 각자 보물이 하나씩 있었어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, say what Della and Jim each gave up, and what they bought for each other.
Source: Adapted from O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi" (first published 1905; public domain, Project Gutenberg #7256). This simplified retelling and its Korean translation are original text written for SeoJae Story.