The Gift Of The Magi
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"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. 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 Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
time. The plot and its
twist ending Twist may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage * ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist'' * ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...
are well known; the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony. The story was allegedly written at
Pete's Tavern __NOTOC__ Pete's Tavern, located at 129 East 18th Street on the corner of Irving Place in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, is a pub food restaurant and one of several drinking establishments each claiming to be the olde ...
on Irving Place in New York City. The story was initially published in '' The New York Sunday World'' under the title "Gifts of the Magi" on December 10, 1905. It was first published in book form in the O. Henry anthology ''
The Four Million ''The Four Million'' is the second published collection of short stories by O. Henry originally released on April 10, 1906, by McClure, Phillips & Co. in New York. There are twenty-five stories of various lengths including several of his best kno ...
'' in April 1906.


Plot

On
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
, Della Young discovers that she has only $1.87 (equivalent to about $62 in 2022) to buy a present for her husband Jim. She visits the nearby shop of a hairdresser, Madame Sofronie, who buys Della's long hair for $20 (about $ in ). Della then uses the money to buy a
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
pocket watch A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a watch, wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wr ...
chain for Jim. When Jim comes home from work that evening, Della admits to him that she sold her hair to buy him the chain. Jim gives Della her present – a set of ornamental combs, which she will be unable to use until her hair grows back out. Della gives Jim the watch chain, and he tells her that he sold the watch to buy the combs. While the gifts that Jim and Della gave each other cannot be used, they know how far they went to show each other their love and how invaluable their love truly is. The story ends with the narrator comparing these sacrificial gifts of love with those of the
biblical Magi The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the G ...
.


Adaptations


Films

* ''The Sacrifice'' (1909) * '' Love's Surprises Are Futile'' (1916) * ''The Gift of the Magi'' (1917) * ''
Ustedes los ricos ''Ustedes los ricos (You the Rich)'' is a 1948 Mexican film. The film is the second in a trilogy produced during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, starting with '' Nosotros los Pobres (We the Poor)'' earlier in 1948 and followed by ''Pepe the Bul ...
'' ("You, the Rich Ones") (1948) includes the tale as a small sub-plot * As a segment of ''
O. Henry's Full House ''O. Henry's Full House'' is a 1952 American anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five films, each based on a story by O. Henry. The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five directors from five screenplays with di ...
'' (1952) * ''The Gift of the Magi'' (1958) * ''The Gift of Love'' (1978) * '' Dary magów'' (Poland, 1972) * '' Christmas Eve on Sesame Street'' (1978) * ''I'll not be a gangster, love'' (/, USSR, 1978), * ''
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas'' is a 1999 American Traditional animation, animated Christmas film, Christmas anthology comedy fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The film includes three features: ''Donald Duck: Stuck on ...
'' (1999) * ''The Gift of the Magi'' (2004) * ''
Raincoat A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with ...
'' (2004) * ''For the First Time'' (2010) * ''Love,'' a French movie, based some of its scenes on this story. * ''Darovete na vlahvite'' (2013) directed by Ivan Abadjiev. * ''The Gift of the Magi'' (2014) The Greek film directed by Ismene Daskarolis places it in the economic crisis of contemporary Greece. * '' Prem Puran'' (2019)


Other media

* In 1955, in ''
The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fol ...
'' episode 13 of season 1, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" involves Ralph looking for the perfect present for Alice for Christmas. Without money, he pawns his prized bowling ball to buy her an expensive gift, only to find out in the end that she bought him a custom bowling ball bag. *In the 1978 Christmas special '' Christmas Eve on Sesame Street'', Ernie and Bert do an adaptation of "The Gift of the Magi". Ernie gives up his Rubber Duckie to buy Bert a cigar box to put his paperclip collection in, and Bert gives up his paperclip collection to get Ernie a soap dish to put his Rubber Duckie in. In the end, Mr. Hooper happily gives them back their items, realizing how much it hurt to sacrifice their possessions to please each other. * ''
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas ''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. The special features an ensemble cast of Henson's Muppet characters as well as chara ...
'', which is a twist on "The Gift of the Magi", is a children's storybook by
Russell Hoban Russell Conwell Hoban (February 4, 1925 – December 13, 2011) was an American expatriate writer. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in ...
which was first published in 1971. In 1977, Muppet creator Jim Henson produced a one-hour television adaptation of the story, filmed in Toronto for HBO in the United States and CBC in Canada. The special premiered on HBO on December 17, 1978. The special later aired on ABC in 1980 and on Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The special features several original songs written by songwriter Paul Williams. * An off-Broadway musical version entitled ''The Gifts of the Magi'' premiered at
Lamb's Theatre Lamb's Theatre was an Off-Broadway theater located at 130 West 44th Street, Manhattan, New York City inside the Manhattan Church of the Nazarene, near Times Square in New York City. It seated approximately 350 and specialized in musical productio ...
in New York City in 1984. Written by
Mark St. Germain Mark St. Germain is an American playwright, author, and film and television writer. Career Plays St. Germain has written ''Camping With Henry And Tom'' (Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards), ''Out of Gas On Lover's Leap'', ''Forgiving ...
and Randy Courts, the play is regularly produced in schools and regional theaters. * Radio drama series ''
Adventures in Odyssey ''Adventures in Odyssey'' (AIO), or simply ''Odyssey'', is an Evangelical Christian radio drama and comedy series created and produced by Focus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first aired in 1987 as ...
'' features a comedic adaptation of this story in its episode "Gifts for Madge & Guy" (1987). * The opening sketch of the December 10, 1988 episode of Season 14 of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' reimagines "The Gift of the Magi" as Donald and Ivana Trump (played by
Phil Hartman Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States w ...
and
Jan Hooks Janet Vivian HooksJan Hooks obituary
liteseyfh.com; accesse ...
) selling their yacht ''Princess'' and estate
Mar-a-Lago Mar-a-Lago ( from the Spanish for ''sea to lake'') is a resort and national historic landmark in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by former U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump acquired Mar-a-Lago in 1985 and referred to it as his "Winter White House" ...
, each in order to pay for a gift intended to adorn the other. * In 1992, in ''
Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, ...
'' episode 27 "The Santa Experience", Phil doesn't know what to get Lil, so Angelica convinces him to give up his precious Reptar doll to get Lil crayons for her coloring book, and then convinces Lil to give up the coloring book to get a space helmet for Phil's Reptar doll even though Angelica was now in possession of it. The twins both believe the sacrifice is the greatest gift of all, leaving Angelica in bitter Christmas spirits until she returns the original gifts. * In 1993, an episode of ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...
'' had TV's Frank selling his hair and buying Dr. Forrester a watch fob. However, Dr. Forrester did not sell his watch to buy Frank a comb, merely thanking Frank for the watch fob for his still-owned watch. *In 1998, Indian singer Pankaj Udhas released his album Stolen Moments. The visualization of the song Ahista is a modern adaptation of The Gift of the Magi. *The title of the 1999 Christmas episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'', ''
Grift of the Magi "Grift of the Magi" is the ninth episode of the The Simpsons (season 11), eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Being the final episode to air in the 1990s, it originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Compa ...
'', is a reference to the story. * A parody appears in the 1999 ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'' episode "
Xmas Story "Xmas Story" is the fourth episode in the second season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 19, 1999. The episode was written by David X. Cohen and directed by Peter Avanzino. John Goodman gues ...
", in which
Zoidberg Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series ''Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite hi ...
gives
Amy Wong This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
a set of combs, only for her to reveal that she sold her hair to a wigmaker in order to buy a set of combs for
Hermes Conrad This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American Cartoon series, animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the a ...
, who then reveals that ''he'' sold his hair to a wigmaker in order to buy a set of combs for Zoidberg. Zoidberg then reveals that he has purchased Amy and Hermes' hair to wear on his own head. * In the 1999 Disney Christmas Video ''
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas'' is a 1999 American Traditional animation, animated Christmas film, Christmas anthology comedy fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The film includes three features: ''Donald Duck: Stuck on ...
'' Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse do an adaptation of The Gift of the Magi. Mickey trades his harmonica to buy Minnie a chain for her watch and Minnie trades her watch to get Mickey a case for his harmonica. * The beginning moments of the 2002 special ''
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'' is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and the first film to be m ...
'' feature gags based on the story. For example, while
Rizzo the Rat Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet character, created and originally performed by Steve Whitmire. He is a fictional rat who appeared on ''The Muppet Show'' and numerous films, with a starring role in the 1992 film ''The Muppet Christmas Carol''. The char ...
sells his collection of rare cheese to buy
Gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose sta ...
a dish for his mold collection, Gonzo reveals he sold his mold collection to buy Rizzo a cheese slicer. * The 2009 Christmas episode of ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'' features a parody of "The Gift of the Magi", where Jim refuses to sell his watch for expensive brushes and buys Della lingerie instead, much to her displeasure. * In the 2009 Christmas special of ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as a ...
'', "
Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation" is a special Christmas special, Christmas-themed episode of the animated television series ''Phineas and Ferb.'' The episode was originally broadcast on Disney XD on December 6, 2009. The special's narrative, s ...
", Candace sells her necklace that she was planning on trading for earrings, in order to buy her boyfriend Jeremy a new guitar, while Jeremy trades his old guitar which he was planning on trading for a new one, in order to buy Candace the earrings she wanted. This twists the story so that each party ends up with the gift they wanted anyway. * In 2018, an episode of ''
Puppy Dog Pals ''Puppy Dog Pals'' is an American computer-animated children's television series created by Harland Williams. The series debuted on Disney Junior in the United States on April 14, 2017. Plot ''Puppy Dog Pals'' is about Bingo and Rolly, two pug ...
'' entitled "Bingo and Rolly's Birthday" had each of the two dog characters trading their prized possessions (a stick collection and a Captain Dog action figure) to obtain gifts for each other (a box for the stick collection, and a spring to repair the launcher on the action figure). * A parody appears in the 2019 ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' episode "Bri, Robot", in which
Peter Griffin Peter Löwenbräu Griffin, born Justin Peter Griffin, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is voiced by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, alon ...
gets a job as a masseur, using the money he earns to buy
Lois Griffin Lois Patrice Griffin (''née'' Pewterschmidt) is a fictional character from the animated television series ''Family Guy''. She is voiced by Alex Borstein and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the Griffin family, in a 15-minu ...
a comb for her beautiful hair, only for her to reveal that she sold her beautiful hair in order to buy him a bottle of massage oil. * In ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' season 2, episode 10, Mr. Shue talks about the tale with their students of the choir. * In 2019 composer
Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. In March2016, he was appointed as Los Angeles Master Chorale's first artist-in-residence at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. ...
composed and conducted a one act chamber opera of The Gift of the Magi for five soloists, piano, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. * In Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull, Errol Fisk references the tale while conversing with Kendra about his livelihood.


See also

*
List of Christmas-themed literature The following is a navigational list of notable literary works which are set at Christmas time, or contain Christmas amongst the central themes. Novels and novellas *Agatha Christie, ''Hercule Poirot's Christmas'' *Charles Dickens, ''A Christmas C ...


References


External links


"The Gift of the Magi"
by O Henry *
O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi":Common Core Exemplar from NEH's EDSITEment

"The Gift of the Magi"
study guide, teacher resources, themes, quotes {{DEFAULTSORT:Gift of the Magi, The 1905 short stories Christmas short stories American short stories 1900s short stories Irony Short stories by O. Henry Short stories adapted into films Works originally published in the New York World