Chapter 3


1. How did Della save her one dollar and eighty-seven cents?

Ans: Della saved it by bargaining hard with grocers, vegetable sellers, and the butcher, collecting a few pennies at a time.


2. The writer gives details of Jim's flat. Pick out two.

Ans: It was a furnished flat costing $8 per week, and it had a letterbox into which no letter would go and an electric bell that didn’t work.


3. The card bearing the full name of Jim now had only one letter 'D'. State whether the statement is true or false.

Ans: True. They considered shortening “Dillingham” to just “D” due to their reduced income.


4. What were the most precious possessions of Jim and Della?

Ans: Jim's gold watch (from his father and grandfather) and Della’s long, beautiful hair.

5. How has the writer compared Della's hair to Queen of Sheba's jewels?

Ans: He says that even the Queen of Sheba would feel jealous if Della let her hair hang out to dry, as it was more precious than royal jewels.

6. How has the writer compared Jim's watch to King Solomon's treasures?

Ans: The writer says if King Solomon were the janitor, Jim would still make him jealous by proudly showing his gold watch.

7. Why did Della decide to sell her hair?

Ans: To buy a meaningful Christmas gift for Jim, as she didn’t have enough money.

8. How much money did she get for her hair?

Ans: She got twenty dollars for her hair.

9. What did Della buy for Jim?

Ans: She bought a platinum fob chain for Jim’s gold watch.

10. How was the gift worthy of the watch?

Ans: The chain was simple and elegant, matching the quiet dignity and value of Jim’s watch.

11. The writer says that the platinum chain was like Jim. How?

Ans: It was modest, valuable, and dignified—just like Jim’s personality.

12. What did Della try to fix before Jim got home?

Ans: She tried to curl and fix her short hair to look presentable after cutting it.

13. What was Jim's reaction when he saw Della without her lovely hair?
Ans: Jim was shocked and stared at her silently with a strange expression; he wasn’t angry but deeply affected.

14. What was Jim's gift for Della? Give a brief description of the gift.
Ans:  Jim gave her a beautiful set of tortoiseshell combs with jeweled rims—something Della had long admired.

15. Were the gifts useful to each other?
Ans: No, both gifts became unusable because Jim sold his watch (for the chain) and Della sold her hair (for the combs).

16. How did Della react when she saw Jim's gift for her?
Ans:  She cried at first but then smiled lovingly, saying her hair would grow back soon.

17. Jim and Della both gave up something dear to them. What does it tell us about them?
Ans: It shows their deep love, selflessness, and willingness to sacrifice for each other’s happiness.

18. Henry's stories often blend humour and pathos. The description of the card bearing Jim's name is an example of this. Can you identify one more example from the story?
Ans: Another example is when Della jokes that Jim might think she looks like a Coney Island chorus girl after cutting her hair—a mix of sadness and humour.

19.Who were the Magi?
Ans:  The Magi were the three wise men who brought valuable gifts to baby Jesus in the manger.

20. What is the writer's last word to the wise men of these days?
Ans:  He says that Jim and Della, though poor and seemingly foolish, were the wisest gift-givers because they gave out of true love and sacrifice.


B. Close Study
Read the following extracts carefully. Discuss pairs and then write the answers to the questions given questions given below them.

1. She got out her curling irons and lighted 1 lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love.
a) What does "generosity" refer to
Ans: Generosity in this context refers to Della's selfless act of cutting and selling her long hair to buy Jim a Christmas gift. It signifies her willingness to sacrifice something precious to her in order to give Jim something meaningful, showing her deep love and affection for him.

b) What repairing work was carried out?

Ans: The repairing work Della carried out was using curling irons to style her hair after it had been cut. She tried to make her short hair look neat and presentable, despite the fact that she had sacrificed her beautiful, long hair to buy Jim a Christmas gift.

c) Why was the girl repairing the ravages?
Ans: Della was repairing the ravages because she wanted to make herself look presentable and beautiful for Jim, despite having cut off her long hair. The "ravages" refer to the damage caused by her decision to sell her hair. She was trying to undo the effects of that sacrifice by curling and styling what was left of her hair, hoping Jim would still find her attractive and not be upset by her appearance.

III. PARAGRAPH WRITING:
Discuss in groups of four each the answers to the following ques-tions. Individually, note down the important points for each question and then develop the points into one-paragraph answers.
1. Why are the gifts of Della and Jim compared to those of the Magi?
Ans: The gifts of Della and Jim are compared to those of the Magi because, like the wise men who brought valuable gifts to the newborn Jesus, both Della and Jim gave sacrificial, selfless, and meaningful gifts to each other.

Although their gifts were not of material wealth (Della gave Jim a chain for his watch, and Jim gave Della combs for her hair), the gifts represented their deep love and sacrifice for one another. They gave up their most cherished possessions—Della's hair and Jim's watch—demonstrating an immense act of love and sacrifice, much like the Magi who gave precious gifts out of reverence and love for Jesus.

Thus, the comparison emphasizes the wisdom of their sacrifices, even though their gifts turned out to be unusable in the end. The essence of their gift-giving lies in their selflessness and devotion to one another.


2. Write on the appropriateness of the title.
Ans: The title "The Gift of the Magi" is highly appropriate because it captures the essence of the story—selfless giving and sacrifice motivated by love, similar to the gifts brought by the Magi (the wise men) to the newborn Jesus. The Magi's gifts were valuable and symbolic of their reverence and devotion, much like the sacrifices made by Della and Jim.

In the story, both Della and Jim give up their most prized possessions—Della's long, beautiful hair and Jim's valuable gold watch—in order to buy a meaningful gift for the other. Though neither gift is practical after the sacrifices, the true value of their acts lies in their love and sacrifice. These actions reflect the same spirit of selflessness and devotion that the Magi exhibited when they gave their precious gifts to Jesus.

The title thus emphasizes the moral of the story, that the greatest gifts are those given with love and sacrifice, regardless of their material worth. It also draws attention to the irony in the story, where the gifts are rendered useless but the love and sacrifice behind them are what truly matter, just like the gifts of the Magi.

3. Imagine that you are Della and write on the conflict you went through before you sacrificed your hair.

Ans: The Conflict I Went Through Before Sacrificing My Hair

As I stood in front of the mirror, my fingers ran through my long, shining hair. It was the one thing I was truly proud of. It cascaded down my back, and I had always felt that it was the best part of me. Jim loved it too; I knew he did. Every time he looked at me, his eyes would linger on it, as if it held the secret of my soul. My hair was my crowning glory, the one thing that made me feel beautiful and confident.

But then, Christmas was coming, and I had nothing to give him. I had saved every penny I could, but all I had was one dollar and eighty-seven cents. I couldn’t even buy a decent gift for Jim with that amount. It seemed like I had tried everything—scrimping, saving, even looking for something in pawn shops—but all my efforts seemed futile. The thought of not having a gift for him felt unbearable.

As I sat there, my mind raced. What could I possibly give him? I wanted to give him something worthy, something special, something that would show him how much I loved him. And then, it hit me—my hair. It was the one thing that was valuable enough to get me the money I needed. A platinum fob chain, just the right gift for Jim's watch, would cost twenty-one dollars. If I sold my hair, I could get exactly that amount.

But the decision wasn’t easy. I could already feel the heaviness in my chest. Could I really do it? My hair was my pride, my beauty. I had spent years taking care of it, and now, I was going to cut it off and sell it. I had to convince myself that it was worth it, that Jim's happiness was worth more than anything else. He was the most important thing in the world to me, and if sacrificing my hair meant giving him a beautiful gift, then it would be worth it.

Was I being foolish? The thought crossed my mind. What if Jim didn’t like the gift? What if he was upset by the change in my appearance? What if he didn’t understand the sacrifice? I hesitated again, my heart torn between the love I had for him and the love I had for myself, for my hair.

But in the end, I knew there was no other choice. I couldn’t let Christmas pass without doing something for Jim. And so, with a heavy but determined heart, I made the decision. I would sell my hair, and I would buy Jim a gift he deserved. I could only hope that, when he saw it, he would understand the depth of my love for him.

I went to Madame Sofronie’s and sold my hair. The woman handed me the money quickly, and I left with the platinum chain in my hand and my heart full of a mixture of sadness and hope. I had given up something dear to me for the man I loved, and I only hoped that, in the end, it would all be worth it.