The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

O. Henry's short story "The Gift of the Magi" was originally published in 1905. The plot revolves around a young husband and wife who face the task of buying covert Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. It has been popular for adaptation as a romantic narrative with a moral message about gift-giving, particularly for Christmas presentations. The narrative and its surprising finale are well known; the ending is often regarded as an example of humorous irony. The narrative was purportedly written in New York City at Pete's Tavern on Irving Place.

Della Young realizes on Christmas Eve that she only has $1.87 to buy a present for her husband Jim. She goes to a local hairdresser, Madame Sofronie, who purchases Della's long hair for $20. Della then spends the money on Jim's platinum pocket watch chain. Della tells Jim when he gets home from work that she sold her hair to buy him the necklace. Jim presents Della with a set of beautiful combs that she will be unable to use until her hair comes back. Della hands Jim the watch chain, and he explains that he sold the watch to get the combs. While the presents Jim and Della gave each other cannot be utilized, they understand how far they went to express one other their love and how priceless that love actually is. The storyteller concludes the narrative by connecting these sacrificial gifts of love to those of the biblical Magi.

Detailed information:
Author: O. Henry
Published: December 10, 1905
Genre: Short story
Link to read: goodreads.com/book/show/143534