"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 time.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Gift of the Magi and Other New York City Stories" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The Gift of the Magi is a story about a young couple who are short of money but desperately want to buy each other Christmas gifts. The Cop and the Anthem is about a New York City hobo named Soapy, who sets out to get arrested so that he can be a guest of the city jail instead of sleeping out in the cold winter. A Retrieved Reformation tells the tale of safecracker Jimmy Valentine, recently freed from prison. The Duplicity of Hargraves is a short story about a nearly destitute father and daughter's trip to Washington, D.C. The Ransom of Red Chief is a short story, it follows two men who kidnap and attempt to ransom a wealthy Alabaman's son, eventually, the men are driven to distraction by the boy's spoiled and hyperactive behavior, and end up having to pay the boy's father to take him back. William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer. O. Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and surprise endings.

Presents sixteen short fiction stories by nineteenth-century American author O. Henry, including the title work about the Christmas sacrifices of a young married couple.

Reading level: 1 [green].

This is O. Henry’s classic American short story about a young husband and wife who are very much in love, but who have no money. Christmas is coming, and each wants to buy a special gift. And so each comes up with a secret plan… what could possibly go wrong? This adaptation is suitable for readers at the high intermediate level (CEFR B2), and includes discussion questions and a vocabulary section. In addition, the original, unchanged story is included at the back of the book for those learners who want an extra challenge.

William Sydney Porter (1862 1910), better known as O. Henry, led a life similar to those of his own fictional characters. Convicted of embezzlement, he drew inspiration from his prison experiences. This volume includes "The Ransom of Red Chief," "The Last Leaf," the classic, "The Gift of the Magi" and 13 more.