"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. The plot and its twist ending are well known; the ending is generally considered an example of comic irony. The story was allegedly written at Pete's Tavern on Irving Place in New York City. The story was initially...

One of the most famous comedians in world literature, O. Henry created a unique panorama of American life at the turn of the XIX – XX centuries, in grotesque situations conveyed the contrasts and paradoxes of his era, which opened up space for people with business acumen, whom the game of chance then raises to the pinnacle of success then overthrows to the very bottom of life....