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E-Books (english-e-reader), The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. Della counted it three times. She was very careful with money and bought only the cheapest food. But she only had one dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day was Christmas.

There was nothing to do so she sat down and cried. Della lived in New York City in a poor, little apartment. The rent was $8 a week. The name on the front door of their flat was "Mr James Dillingham Young". In the past he earned $30 a week, but now he earned only $20 a week. When he came home after work Della always hugged him. And this was very good.

Della stopped crying and dried her face. She stood by the window and looked at a gray cat on the gray street.

"Tomorrow will be Christmas Day and I have only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy Jim a Christmas present," she thought. She wanted to buy him something fine and beautiful. She wanted to show him that she loved him a lot.

There was a small mirror on the wall and Della stood in front of it. Her eyes were bright. She pulled down her beautiful long hair. It went below her knees.

Now, the James Dillingham Youngs had two very special things. One was Jim's gold pocket watch. It belonged to his father and before that, to his grandfather. The other special thing was Della's hair.

She put up her hair again. A tear or two fell on the old red carpet. Then she put on her old brown coat and her old brown hat and quickly went out with her eyes still shining.

She stopped in front of a door with a sign: Madame Sofronie, Hair Goods. Della opened the door and saw a big woman.

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame Sofronie. "Take your hat off and show me your hair."

Della's beautiful brown hair fell down.

"Twenty dollars," said Madame Sofronie and she touched the long hair with her expert hand.

"Cut it off, quickly! And give me the money," said Della.

During the next two hours Della went to many stores and looked for Jim's present.

She found it at last. It was perfect for Jim: a simple gold chain for his pocket watch. He was proud of his pocket watch but it had no chain.

The gold chain cost twenty-one dollars, and Della hurried home happily with it and the eighty-seven cents. When she got home she looked at her very short hair in the mirror.

"Oh dear, what can I do with my hair?" she thought.

She was very busy with her hair for the next forty minutes. Then she looked in the mirror again. She looked like a schoolboy with tiny curls all over her head.

What's Jim going to say when he sees me?" she thought. "But what could I do with one dollar and eighty-seven cents?"

At seven o'clock the coffee was ready and the frying pan was on the stove.

Jim was never late. Della had the gold chain in her hand and she waited for him near the door. Then she heard his footsteps on the stairs and she was afraid for a moment. "I hope Jim still thinks I'm pretty," she thought.

The door opened and Jim came in. He was thin and serious. He needed a new overcoat and he had no gloves. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two years old and he already had a family.

His eyes were fixed on Della. She could not understand the look on his face. He was not angry or surprised. He simply looked at her with a strange expression on his face. Della ran to him.

"Jim, darling," she cried. "Don't look at me that way. I sold my hair because I wanted to give you a present. My hair will be long again, it grows quickly. Oh, Jim, say 'Merry Christmas' and let's be happy! I have a beautiful gift for you."

"Did you cut off your hair?" asked Jim slowly.

"Yes, I cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me anymore? I'm still Della!"

Jim looked around the room.

"You cut your hair?" Jim said again, almost stupidly.

"Yes, I sold it because I love you so much, Jim. Shall I get dinner ready now?"

Jim put his arms around Della. Then he took a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it on the table.

"Don't worry about me, Della," he said. "I will always love you. It doesn't matter if your hair is short or long. But if you open the package, you'll see why I was strange before."

Della was excited and she quickly opened the package. She gave a little scream of happiness, but then she started crying.

There were The Combs-two beautiful, tortoise-shell combs with little jewels. They were the perfect color for her hair. When Della saw them the first time in a store window on Broadway, she wanted them. She knew they were expensive combs and now they were hers. But she did not have long hair anymore!

Della held The Combs in her hand and looked at them. She smiled lovingly at Jim and said, "My hair grows very fast, Jim!"

Then Della jumped up like a cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

She showed Jim his beautiful gift.

"Isn't it splendid, Jim? I looked everywhere to find it. Now you'll look at your watch a hundred times a day. Give me your watch! Let's see how it looks on the new chain."

Jim sat down and put his hands behind his head and smiled.

"Della," he said, "Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. They're too nice to use now. I sold my watch to get the money to buy you The Combs. And now, let's have dinner."

- THE END -

The Gift of the Magi 賢者の贈り物

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. 1ドル87セント。 That was all. Della counted it three times. Della counted it three times. デラはそれを 3 回数えました。 She was very careful with money and bought only the cheapest food. 彼女はお金に細心の注意を払い、最も安い食べ物だけを買いました。 But she only had one dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day was Christmas.

There was nothing to do so she sat down and cried. Della lived in New York City in a poor, little apartment. The rent was $8 a week. The name on the front door of their flat was "Mr James Dillingham Young". 彼らのアパートの正面玄関の名前は「Mr James Dillingham Young」でした。 In the past he earned $30 a week, but now he earned only $20 a week. 以前は週 30 ドル稼いでいましたが、今では週 20 ドルしか稼いでいません。 When he came home after work Della always hugged him. 彼が仕事から帰ってくると、デラはいつも彼を抱きしめた. And this was very good. And this was very good.

Della stopped crying and dried her face. デラは泣くのをやめ、顔を乾かしました。 She stood by the window and looked at a gray cat on the gray street.

"Tomorrow will be Christmas Day and I have only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy Jim a Christmas present," she thought. 「明日はクリスマスだし、ジムにクリスマスプレゼントを買うのに1ドル87セントしかない」と彼女は思った。 She wanted to buy him something fine and beautiful. 彼女は彼に何か立派で美しいものを買いたかった。 She wanted to show him that she loved him a lot. 彼女は彼をとても愛していることを彼に示したかった.

There was a small mirror on the wall and Della stood in front of it. Her eyes were bright. She pulled down her beautiful long hair. It went below her knees.

Now, the James Dillingham Youngs had two very special things. さて、ジェームズ・ディリンガム・ヤングスには2つの非常に特別なものがありました. One was Jim's gold pocket watch. 1つはジムの金の懐中時計でした。 It belonged to his father and before that, to his grandfather. それは彼の父のもので、それ以前は祖父のものでした。 The other special thing was Della's hair.

She put up her hair again. 彼女はまた髪を上げた。 A tear or two fell on the old red carpet. 古いレッドカーペットに一、二滴の涙が落ちた。 Then she put on her old brown coat and her old brown hat and quickly went out with her eyes still shining. それから彼女は古い茶色のコートと古い茶色の帽子をかぶり、目を輝かせたまま急いで出かけました。

She stopped in front of a door with a sign: Madame Sofronie, Hair Goods. Della opened the door and saw a big woman.

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

"I buy hair," said Madame Sofronie. "Take your hat off and show me your hair."

Della's beautiful brown hair fell down. デラの美しい茶髪が垂れ下がった。

"Twenty dollars," said Madame Sofronie and she touched the long hair with her expert hand. 「20ドル」とマダム・ソフロニーは言い、熟練した手で長い髪に触れた.

"Cut it off, quickly! And give me the money," said Della.

During the next two hours Della went to many stores and looked for Jim's present.

She found it at last. It was perfect for Jim: a simple gold chain for his pocket watch. He was proud of his pocket watch but it had no chain.

The gold chain cost twenty-one dollars, and Della hurried home happily with it and the eighty-seven cents. When she got home she looked at her very short hair in the mirror.

"Oh dear, what can I do with my hair?" 「ああ、私の髪はどうすればいいの?」 she thought.

She was very busy with her hair for the next forty minutes. 次の 40 分間、彼女は髪の手入れに大忙しでした。 Then she looked in the mirror again. She looked like a schoolboy with tiny curls all over her head. 彼女は頭全体に小さな巻き毛のある男子生徒のように見えました。

What's Jim going to say when he sees me?" ジムは私に会ったら何と言うつもりですか?」 she thought. "But what could I do with one dollar and eighty-seven cents?" 「でも、1ドル87セントで何ができますか?」

At seven o'clock the coffee was ready and the frying pan was on the stove.

Jim was never late. ジムは決して遅刻しませんでした。 Della had the gold chain in her hand and she waited for him near the door. Then she heard his footsteps on the stairs and she was afraid for a moment. "I hope Jim still thinks I'm pretty," she thought.

The door opened and Jim came in. He was thin and serious. 彼は痩せていて真面目だった。 He needed a new overcoat and he had no gloves. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two years old and he already had a family. かわいそうに、彼はまだ 22 歳で、すでに家族を持っていました。

His eyes were fixed on Della. 彼の目はデラに注がれていました。 She could not understand the look on his face. 彼女は彼の顔の表情を理解できませんでした。 He was not angry or surprised. 彼は怒ったり驚いたりしませんでした。 He simply looked at her with a strange expression on his face. 彼はただ奇妙な表情で彼女を見た。 Della ran to him.

"Jim, darling," she cried. "Don't look at me that way. 「そんな目で見ないで。 I sold my hair because I wanted to give you a present. My hair will be long again, it grows quickly. 私の髪はまた長くなり、すぐに伸びます。 Oh, Jim, say 'Merry Christmas' and let's be happy! ああ、ジム、「メリー クリスマス」と言って、幸せになりましょう! I have a beautiful gift for you."

"Did you cut off your hair?" 「髪を切りましたか?」 asked Jim slowly.

"Yes, I cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me anymore? 「もう好きじゃないの? I'm still Della!"

Jim looked around the room.

"You cut your hair?" Jim said again, almost stupidly. ジムはまた、ほとんどばかげて言った。

"Yes, I sold it because I love you so much, Jim. Shall I get dinner ready now?" 今から夕食の準備をしましょうか?」

Jim put his arms around Della. Then he took a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it on the table. それからコートのポケットから包みを取り出し、テーブルの上に放り投げた。

"Don't worry about me, Della," he said. 「私のことは心配しないで、デラ」と彼は言った。 "I will always love you. It doesn't matter if your hair is short or long. But if you open the package, you'll see why I was strange before." でも、パッケージを開けてみれば、私が以前おかしかった理由がわかります。」

Della was excited and she quickly opened the package. She gave a little scream of happiness, but then she started crying.

There were The Combs-two beautiful, tortoise-shell combs with little jewels. Había peines, dos hermosos peines de concha de tortuga con pequeñas joyas. 小さな宝石が付いた2つの美しい亀の甲羅の櫛がありました。 They were the perfect color for her hair. When Della saw them the first time in a store window on Broadway, she wanted them. She knew they were expensive combs and now they were hers. But she did not have long hair anymore!

Della held The Combs in her hand and looked at them. She smiled lovingly at Jim and said, "My hair grows very fast, Jim!"

Then Della jumped up like a cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

She showed Jim his beautiful gift. 彼女はジムに彼の美しい贈り物を見せました。

"Isn't it splendid, Jim? 「素晴らしいでしょう、ジム? I looked everywhere to find it. 私はそれを見つけるためにあらゆる場所を探しました。 Now you'll look at your watch a hundred times a day. これで、1 日に 100 回時計を見ることになります。 Give me your watch! Let's see how it looks on the new chain."

Jim sat down and put his hands behind his head and smiled. ジムは座って両手を頭の後ろに置き、微笑んだ。

"Della," he said, "Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep them a while. 「デラ」と彼は言った、「クリスマスプレゼントを片付けて、しばらく保管しましょう. They're too nice to use now. 素敵すぎて今は使えません。 I sold my watch to get the money to buy you The Combs. コームズを買うためのお金を得るために、時計を売りました。 And now, let's have dinner."

- THE END -