The Gift Of The Magi.docx

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI by O. Henry

ACT I

( SCENE 1 )

(Della enters in a dimly lit room. She sits on the shabby little couch and takes out all the money in her pocket.)

Della : One dollar and ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty-seven cents. Wait, was that right? One dollar and ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty-seven cents. I don’t think I only have this much. For the last time. One dollar and eighty-seven cents it is.

(She sighed, stood up, and took a look around her home.)

Della : I never dreamed of having a life like this, but as long as I’m with Jim I think we can both make it. And oh God! Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I don’t have that much money to buy a gift for him! What should I do? With a dollar and eighty-seven cents, I don’t think it’ll be enough. I always wanted to give him something fine, rare, and sterling - something worthy of the honor of being owned by my Jim.

(While thinking to herself, Della then came to look at her reflection on the pier-glass between the windows of the room. She hurriedly went and stood before the glass and pulled down her hair, letting it fall to its full length.)

Della : I would do anything to give Jim the best present he could ever receive from me, even if I give up my most valuable treasure.

(Della quickly fixes her hair and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet. She then went and put on her old brown jacket, her brown hat, and her skirt. Afterwards, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.)

( SCENE 2 )

(Della was roaming the streets when she stopped by a sign. It read “Madame Sofronie. Hair Good of All Kinds.” She quickly grabbed the door’s handle and opened the doors. In front of her stood Madame Sofronie. A pale, huge woman with cold eyes. She hardly looked like the name she owned.)

Della : Good day, Madame. Will you buy my hair?

Madame : Of course, I buy hair. Well, then? Take your hat off and let’s have a sight at the looks of it.

(Della took off her hat and down fell her beautiful hair, shining like a cascade of brown waters.)

Madame : Hmmm. This is quite a sight. I’ll take it for twenty dollars.

Della : Done. Give it to me quick.

(The moment she received the money, she immediately flew out the doors and started ransacking the stores to find a gift for Jim.)

( SCENE 3 )

(After two hours of barging in on different stores, she came to a little jewelry store and found it at last - a platinum fob chain, simple and chaste in design.)

Della : This is it. This is the perfect gift for my Jim. It’s even worthy of his watch, the one passed down by his grandfather, to his father and finally to him. This chain is exactly like him - quietness and value. I’m very sure he will love this.

Sales Clerk : Good day, Madame. You have really keen eyes. That chain is very exclusive and one of a kind. We only have three of them, and that one’s our last stock. Would you want to take it?

Della : Yes, of course.

Sales Clerk : Good choice, Madame.

(Della excitingly paid for the chain for twenty-one dollars and hurried home with a remaining of eighty-seven cents.)

( SCENE 4 )

(When Della reached home, she hurriedly went to a room to fix her hair. She got out her curling irons and started repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. After forty minutes, her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look like a truant schoolboy. She then looked at her reflection in the mirror - long, carefully, and critically.)

Della : I hope Jim doesn’t kill me after I cut and sold my hair. Before he takes a second look at me, he’ll probably say that I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do? What could I do with a dollar and eighty-seven cents?

(She dismissed her thoughts and went to the kitchen. At seven o’clock, the coffee was already made and and frying pan was on the back of the stove, hot and ready to cook the chops. Jim was never late and his footsteps were getting louder by the second. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. She then said a little silent prayer - a habit of hers when praying for the simplest of things.)

Della : Please God, make him think that I’m still pretty.

(Jim opened the door and to his surprise, his eyes became fixated upon the look of his wife. His expression terrified Della. That certain peculiar expression doesn’t look anything like what she has been preparing for. Jim simply stared at her. Della then wriggled off the table and went for him.)

Della : Jim, darling. Don’t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. Don’t worry, it’ll grow out again. You won’t mind, would you? Come on. Say ‘Merry Christmas!’, Jim and let’s be happy. You don’t know what a nice and beautiful gift I’ve got for you.

Jim : You- you’ve cut off… your hair?

Della : Yes. I cut it off and sold it. Don’t you like me just as well anyhow? I’m still me without my long hair, aren’t I?

(Jim looked about the room curiously.)

Jim : You- you say, your hair is… gone?

Della : You don’t need to look for it. It’s already sold - and yes, gone too. It’s Christmas Eve, my darling. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe every hair on my head were numbered, but nobody could ever count my love for you. So, shall I put the chops on, Jim?

(Out of his trance, Jim seemed quickly to wake. He hugged Della sincerely. He then took out a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.)

Jim : Don’t get me wrong, Dell. I don’t think that there’s anything in the way of a haircut, or a shave, or a shampoo, that could make me love my wife any less. But, if you would unwrap that package, you will understand why you had me going like this in the first place.

(Della’s white fingers carefully tore at the string and paper wrapping the gift. And then came an ecstatic scream of joy with a quick feminine change to hysterical tears

and wails. Inside the package were a set of combs that she always worshipped long in a Broadway window. Theses combs were made of pure tortoise shells with jewelled rims. They were very expensive and she knew she would not have the least bit of chance having it in her possession.)

Della : My hair grows so fast, Jim!

(She hugged the combs to her bosom, giving Jim the sweetest and most genuine smile she could display. But Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. Della then held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm.)

Della : Isn’t it dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Hand me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.

(Instead of obeying, Jim stumbled down on the couch, put his hands under the back of his head, and smiled.)

Jim : Dell, let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep them for a while. They’re too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now, I suppose you put the chops on.

- THE END -