The Gift of the Magi

Bank clerk William Sidney Porter spent three years in prison for embezzling bank funds, where, inspired by the stories of his fellow inmates, he wrote his first story under the pseudonym O. Henry, which soon brought him fame. The famous «The Gift of the Magi» was written after he went to his dying wife's side for Christmas. He managed to say goodbye to his beloved, and she — to give her husband her last gift — a gold chain for his watch. The woman did not know that he had sold that very watch in order to buy a ticket to his hometown.

Each novella of the incorrigible romantic and the most brilliant storyteller of America — is filled with brilliant and subtle humor, sharp dialogues, unpredictable endings, and colorful characters. The diversity of stories included in the collection shows the multifaceted talent of O. Henry.