The Gift of the Magi One dollar and eighty-seven cents

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The Gift of the Magi

One dollar and eighty-seven cents . That was all she had. And the next day would be Christmas. Delia flopped down on the shabby old couch and cried. She wanted so much to get something special for her husband Jim, but she only had $1.87. Delia stood and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red. She didn't want Jim to know she'd been crying. She let her hair fall to its full length, almost to her knees, and began to brush it. Jim loved her soft, long hair. The only thing he liked more was the gold watch that had belonged to his father and grandfather.

Suddenly Delia had an idea. She piled her hair on top of her head, put on her old brown jacket and hat, and fluttered out the door and down the steps of the street. She stopped at a door that read: Madame Sofron Hair Goods. Delia ran in and asked, "Will you buy my hair?" "Take off your hat and let me see," said Madame Sofron. She looked at Delia's shiny hair and said, "I can give you 20 dollars.:

For two hours, Delia went from store to store, looking for a special gift for Jim. At last she found it...a simple gold watch chain. It would replace the old leather strap he now used on his beloved watch!

When Delia got home, she fixed her head in short close-lying curls. She looked in the mirror, satisfied with the new look. She had dinner ready by 7 o'clock , but Jim had not come home. Delia began to worry; he was never late. At last she heard him come up the steps. The door opened and in walked Jim. "You've cut off your hair!" he said sadly when he saw Delia.

"I sold it," said Delia. "But I'm still me, aren't I?" "Of course," Jim said softly as he took a package from his coat pocket. "But if you'll unwrap this package, you'll see why I'm sad." Delia's fingers tore the string and the paper. Inside she found a set of combs she'd once admired in a shop window. They were beautiful, with jeweled rims that would have looked magnificent in her handsome, long hair.

"Oh, Jim, how lovely," she cried. "I shall wear them when my hair grows. It grows fast." But see, she added happily. "I have a gift for you!" Delia held out the watch chain in her open palm. "I hunted all over town to find it. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it!" Instead, Jim sat on the couch and began to laugh. "Oh, Delia," he said. "I sold my watch to get the money to buy your combs!" Delia sat beside him and together they laughed. They were happy, yet sad to know that each had given up a prized possession for the love of the other. It was a special Christmas that year, a day filled with love.

1) A summary is a retelling of a story that,

a. Is always shorter than the original text

b. Must be at least two paragraphs long

c. Has no ending

d. Gives new information that was not in the story

2) Which is the best one- sentence summary for paragraph one?

a. Delia is sad because Jim sold his watch

b. Delia is sad because she doesn't have much money to buy a gift for Jim.

c. Delia is sad because her mother can't come to visit.

d. Delia is sad because she has no new coat to wear.

3) Which would NOT be important to include in a summary of the story?

a. Delia has beautiful long hair.

b. Jim has a gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather.

c. Delia and Jim lived in an apartment.

d. Delia wanted something special for Jim.

4) Which is the main idea of the story?

a. Delia changes her hairstyle.

b. Jim and Delia plan a special Christmas dinner.

c. Jim and Delia sacrificed to get each other a special gift.

d. Delia has old clothing to wear.

5)Make a summary of the story in just few sentences.