About the book

Della and Jim Young are a young married couple in New York who are very poor. With Christmas coming and only one dollar and eighty-seven cents in her purse, Della sells her long, beautiful hair to buy a platinum chain for Jim's pocket watch, his most prized possession. When Jim comes home, she learns that he has sold the watch to buy a set of combs for her hair. O. Henry's short story, published in 1905, is known for its ironic twist, and its final paragraph, which compares the couple to the wise men who brought gifts to the infant Jesus.

It suits anyone who wants a quick, classic Christmas story and a model of the short-story twist. It is easy to read in minutes.

Reading profile

Inward-looking, contemplative, clear-cut and thought-provoking; an easy read.

Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?

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