The Gift Of The Magi
Della –
Jim –
Madame –
Ведущий
Сцена 1
Della: One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That is all! (считает) One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And tomorrow will be Christmas.( Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out) Tomorrow will be Christmas Day. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. My Jim. I’ve been saving every penny I could for months…and the result…(Подходит к зеркалу, расчесывается щеткой, вдруг ее глаза загораются блеском…распускает волосы и осматривает их) The only precious thing that my Jim has is his pocket watch; it was his father's and his grandfather's. I want to buy a chain. I know what to do, how to get money. I’ll sell my beautiful hair.
(Уходит. )
Сцена 2
Салон. Табличка "Madame Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds."
Della: Will you buy my hair?
Madame: I buy hair. Take your hat off and let's have a look at it.
(Дела распускает волосы)
Madame: Twenty dollars.
Della: Give it to me quick!
(Madame дает деньги, Дела хватает их и выбегает из салона)
Сцена 3
(Делла входит домой. Достает цепочку, рассматривает. Кладет ее на стол, подходит к зеркалу и смотрится в него.)
Della: If Jim doesn't kill me before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents? My Jim likes coffee. I’ll do it for him.
(начинает готовить кофе)
Oh, it 7 o'clock the coffee is ready. Jim is never late. (Берет цепочку и садится у двери , рассматривает цепочку и ждет Джима)
(Послышались шаги.)
(падая на колени, и складывает руки – поднимая их шепчет) Please God, make him think I am still pretty!!!!!!
(Отрывается дверь, входит Джим, усталый и серьезный) (Смотрит на Делу и замирает, широко открыв глаза) Пауза!!!
(Дела отходит от стола и идет к Джиму)
Della: Jim, darling!! Don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you.
Jim: You've cut off your hair?
Della: Cut it off and sold it. Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm the same person without my hair, right?
Jim: You say your hair is gone?
Della: You needn't look for it. It's sold, I tell you-sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it was cut for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I pour you some coffee, Jim?
(Джим очнулся от потрясения) подходит к стулу и из пиджака достает коробочку. Кладет на стол.
Jim: Don't make any mistake, Dell, about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you open that package you may see why you had me frightened at first.
(Дрожащими руками Дела открывает коробочку. Издает вскрик радости и потом звук разочарования)
Прижимает гребень к себе
Della: My hair grows so fast, Jim!
Della: Oh, oh! You haven’t seen my beautiful gift!!!
(Берет цепочку в руки, и раскрывает ладони) (Джил молча уставился на подарок)
Della: Isn't it wonderful, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.
(Джим весело подает на диван, запрокидывает руки за голову, нога за ногу)
Jim: Dell, let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. (Поднимается , подходит к Делл, обнимая ее) I sold my watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now why not have some coffee?
Ведущий:The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones. And here you have seen a story of two young people who most unwisely gave for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be said that of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
2 ведущий - Волхвы, те, что принесли дары младенцу в яслях, были, как известно, мудрые, удивительно мудрые люди. Они-то и завели моду делать рождественские подарки. И так как они были мудры, то и дары их были мудры. А я тут рассказал вам ничем не примечательную историю про двух глупых молодых людей, которые пожертвовали друг для друга своими величайшими сокровищами. Но да будет сказано в назидание мудрецам наших дней, что из всех дарителей эти двое были мудрейшими. Из всех, кто подносит и принимает дары, истинно мудры лишь подобные им. Везде и всюду. Они и есть волхвы.
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