The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry
- English
- Easy level
- 10 min to read
- Short stories
About The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry is a easy read in English (short stories). It takes about 10 min at 200 words per minute, a comfortable pace for language learners. The book is in the public domain and comes from Project Gutenberg.
When you open it, the text is downloaded once and saved in your browser, so you can keep reading offline and your progress stays on your device.
Main characters in The Gift of the Magi
On Christmas Eve, a young couple, Della and Jim, are too poor to buy each other gifts. Della sells her long hair to buy Jim a chain for his watch, while Jim sells his watch to buy her combs for her hair, and the story shows what true gifts mean.
Della
Jim's young wife, who sells her hair to buy him a Christmas present.
Jim
Della's husband, who sells his prized watch to buy her a gift.
Madame Sofronie
The shop owner who buys Della's hair.
Questions about The Gift of the Magi
- How many words are in The Gift of the Magi?
- The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry has about 2,000 words. At 200 words per minute, a comfortable pace for language learners, it takes about 10 min to read.
- Who are the main characters in The Gift of the Magi?
- The main characters are Della, Jim and Madame Sofronie.
- Can I read The Gift of the Magi for free?
- Yes. The Gift of the Magi is in the public domain, and you can read it free in English on PolyglotReader with inline translation, word lookup and audio.
The Gift of the Magi is more than a book: it is a language-learning tool
Most people learn a language from lessons and word lists that have nothing to do with what they enjoy. Here you learn from a real story. You read The Gift of the Magi in English, and every step that helps you understand and remember it is one tap away. The words you meet in the book are the words you practise.
- Read
- Look up
- Listen
- Save
- Practise
- Inline translation
Stay in the original text and check the meaning only when you need to.
- Word lookup
A dictionary entry gives you ten meanings. A contextual lookup gives you the one that fits.
- Audio narration
Hear how the text sounds while your eyes follow the words.
- B1 simplification
Read the book you want now, at a level you can follow, and move up to the original later.
- Flashcards
Practise the words you actually met, in the books you actually chose.
- Word games
Test yourself on the exact sentences you just read.
- My Dictionary
One searchable list of every word you chose to keep, with the meaning you picked.
- Daily goal
A small target you meet every day beats a long session you never get round to.
Want to learn from a book that is not in the catalog? Upload your own book as an EPUB, PDF or text file.
Play word games with The Gift of the Magi
Reading shows you the words, games make you use them. Press Play in the reading toolbar and PolyglotReader builds short games from the English page you are on, so you practise the vocabulary of The Gift of the Magi itself.
Fill the blanks
One word is hidden in a sentence from the page. Pick the right one from four choices.
Type the word
Type the hidden word. The first letter is shown, and Say it lets you hear the word.
Unscramble
The words of a sentence are shuffled. Tap them back into the right order.
Games are made in your browser from the book text, with points, streaks and stars. How the word games work
More in Short stories
- MetamorphosisFranz KafkaEnglish · Short stories, ClassicsMedium1 h 50 min
- The Happy Prince, and Other TalesOscar WildeEnglish · Children's, Short storiesEasy1 h 22 min
- The Aesop for ChildrenAesopEnglish · Children's, Short storiesEasy2 h 17 min
- The Yellow WallpaperCharlotte Perkins GilmanEnglish · Horror, Short storiesMedium30 min