O. Henry. The Gift of the Magi

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O. Henry

The Gift of the Magi

Characters: Narrator, Della, Store hostess, Jim

Музыка.

Narrator: One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

Della: I had been saving every penny I could for months, with this result. Only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy a present for Jim. My Jim.

Narrator: There was clearly nothing left to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. (Пауза)  Della finished her cry. Suddenly she whirled from the couch and stood before the glass. (Делла вытаскивает шпильки, распускает волосы) Музыка.

Narrator: Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs. One was Della's hair. The other was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. (Делла быстро надевает жакет, шляпку, мчится на улицу).

(Хозяйка магазина несет парик).

Della: Will you buy my hair?

Store hostess: Take your hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it. (Делла снимает шляпу, встряхивает волосы. Хозяйка магазина взвешивает на руке массу волос). Not more than …twenty dollars.

Della: Give it to me quick.

Store hostess: Follow me. Музыка.

Narrator: Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. Музыка. She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out.

Della: (с короткой стрижкой) A platinum fob chain for Jim’s gold watch. It is like him: quietness and value. Oh, yes, quietness and value. It costs twenty-one dollars. And I have seventy – eight cents. (Танцует) With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. (Делла смотрится в зеркало, вспоминает, что волос нет) Jim will kill me! But what could I do - oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty-seven cents? Пауза So, it is necessary to sit down and calm down. (Делла садится на стул напротив дверей) Please, God, make him think I am still pretty. Шаги This is Jim!

(Джим входит со свертком в руке, смотрит на Деллу, роняет коробку)

Narrator: Jim’s eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her.

Della: Jim, darling, don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again - you won't mind, will you? Say 'Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-what a beautiful 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 me without my hair, aren't I?

Jim: (оглядывает комнату) You say your hair is gone? (Спрашивает с бессмысленной настойчивостью).

Della: You needn't look for it. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you… Shall I put the chops on, Jim?

Jim: (Джим устало садится на стул, протягивает сверток Делле) Don't make any mistake, Dell, about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first.

Della: Oh, my favorite combs! I have dreamed of them for a long time!

Narrator: Beautiful combs, pure tortoise-shell, with jeweled rims were expensive. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.

Della: (улыбаясь сквозь слезы) My hair grows so fast, Jim! Oh, my God, you have not yet seen my beautiful present. (Делла протягивает на ладони цепочку). Isn't it a dandy, Jim? 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.

Jim: Dell, let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on.

Музыка. Джим и Делла радостно убегают.