CSP
Gift of the Magi Summary
Text: One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies.
Paraphrase: Della had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. Most of it was small coins.
Text: Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.
Paraphrase: Della counted the money three times. It was still one dollar and eighty-seven cents. The next day was Christmas.
Text: She sat down and cried. It was because she wanted to buy something nice for Jim, but she didn’t have enough money.
Paraphrase: Della started crying. She wanted to get Jim a good gift but had too little money.
Text: There was a mirror between the windows of the room. Suddenly, she stood up and looked at herself in the glass.
Paraphrase: There was a mirror in the room. Della quickly stood up and looked at her reflection.
Text: Her hair was beautiful, like a waterfall of brown. She let it fall to its full length.
Paraphrase: Della’s hair was long and lovely, like a brown waterfall. She let it down completely.
Text: She had been proud of her hair. Jim loved it, too.
Paraphrase: Della felt proud of her hair. Jim also adored it.
Text: Della’s hair and Jim’s watch were their most valuable possessions.
Paraphrase: Della’s hair and Jim’s watch were the things they treasured the most.
Text: She pinned up her hair quickly and put on her old brown jacket and her old brown hat.
Paraphrase: Della pinned her hair back. Then she wore her old brown jacket and hat.
Text: She hurried out of the house to a shop where hair was bought.
Paraphrase: Della left the house quickly and went to a shop that bought hair.
Text: “Will you buy my hair?” she asked.
Paraphrase: She asked the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy my hair?”
Text: “Twenty dollars,” said Madame, lifting the hair with her hand.
Paraphrase: The shopkeeper, Madame, said, “I will give you twenty dollars.”
Text: Della said, “Give it to me quickly.”
Paraphrase: Della replied, “Give me the money now.”
Text: The next two hours went by quickly. She searched everywhere for a gift for Jim.
Paraphrase: Time passed fast as Della searched for the perfect gift for Jim.
Text: She found a platinum watch chain. It was perfect for Jim’s watch.
Paraphrase: Della found a platinum chain. It would match Jim’s watch perfectly.
Text: It cost twenty-one dollars. She paid for it and went home with eighty-seven cents.
Paraphrase: The chain was twenty-one dollars. Della paid and went home with just eighty-seven cents left.
Text: When Della reached home, she looked at her short hair in the mirror.
Paraphrase: At home, Della looked at her short hair in the mirror.
Text: She said, “If Jim doesn’t love me with short hair, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Paraphrase: She worried and said, “What if Jim doesn’t love me with short hair?”
Text: At seven o’clock, Jim came home. He looked thin and serious.
Paraphrase: Jim arrived home at seven. He looked serious and thin.
Text: He stopped at the door, staring at Della. His face had an expression she couldn’t understand.
Paraphrase: Jim paused at the door and stared at Della. She couldn’t read the expression on his face.
Text: “I sold my hair to buy you a Christmas gift,” she said.
Paraphrase: Della said, “I cut and sold my hair to get your Christmas gift.”
Text: “Don’t worry about me,” said Jim. “Nothing you do could make me love you less.”
Paraphrase: Jim said, “You don’t need to worry. I’ll always love you.”
Text: Then he handed her a package. Inside, there were beautiful combs for her hair.
Paraphrase: Jim gave her a package. It had lovely combs for her hair inside.
Text: She had wanted these combs for a long time, but now her hair was gone.
Paraphrase: Della had dreamed of these combs, but now her hair was short.
Text: She smiled and said, “My hair grows fast, Jim.”
Paraphrase: Della smiled and said, “My hair will grow back soon.”
Text: Then she gave Jim the chain. She said, “Isn’t it perfect for your watch?”
Paraphrase: Della gave him the chain and said, “It will look great with your watch.”
Text: Jim smiled sadly. He said, “I sold the watch to buy your combs.”
Paraphrase: Jim gave a sad smile and said, “I sold my watch to get your combs.”
Text: Both of them had given up their best treasures for each other.
Paraphrase: They both sacrificed their most valuable possessions for love.
Text: These wise people were like the Magi, who brought gifts to baby Jesus.
Paraphrase: Jim and Della were like the wise Magi, bringing gifts of love.