The Gift of the Magi

Henry, O. "The Gift of the Magi." The Little Big Book of Christmas. Ed. Lena Tabori. New York: A Welcome Book, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1999. 310-319.


Photo credit: brungrrl on Flickr

This story is a classic Christmas tale in which a husband and wife each sell their most treasured posessions in order to give Christmas gifts to each other. The story is a bit bittersweet because the gifts that the couple give to each other were chosen to complement the prized posession that each of them has just sold.

I have always enjoyed this story. I liked that the characters both made sacrifices in the name of love, and the love is reciporcated in kind. The obvious adoration between the two main characters is very moving. I also enjoyed the jocular tone of the narrator. It endears the characters to the reader that much more.