"The Gift of the Magi" is a classic Christmas tale from the author O. Henry about a poor young couple who, unbeknownst to each other, give up their most prized possession to purchase a gift for each other. The twist at the end of the story is that the gift they give to each other is meant for that prized possession. So the husband receives a watch chain for the watch he sold to buy his wife a set of combs which are of no use for she cut her beautiful hair to afford the chain.
Except her hair will grow back. Within a couple of months, she'll be able to use the combs. And how much money did the chain cost anyway? Clearly not as much as the set of ornate combs. I mean a fancy pocket watch has got to fetch more than a head full of hair, right? As a kid, I hated this story for the perceived unfairness of it all. Although I always thought it was cool that
O. Henry spent time in jail. I was a weird kid.
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I was more a Ransom of Red Chief guy myself. It seemed more plausible!
ReplyDeleteThen you have my husband and his brother. My husband has lots of hair and a beard, his brother is bald. One Christmas my husband received a bottle of plant food... and retaliated with a tin of furniature polish!
ReplyDeleteWhat thoughtful gifts. That they are still talking to each other might be the true Christmas miracle!
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