Lesson 12: The Gift of the Magi
This chapter is from the 11th class English book 1 and it has been written by O.Henry (William Sydney Porter). We have presented the important questions of this chapter for the intermediate (part 1) FSc FA first year students.
Questions Answers
Q: Why did Jim sell the gold watch?
Jim himself was a poor fellow. He had a gold watch which he received from his father. He sold it to buy a Christmas gift for his beloved wife Della.
Q: Why did Della and Jim want to present gifts to each other?
Both Della and Jim loved each other. They believed in presenting gifts on special occasions. So on the eve of Christmas, they wanted to present gifts to each other.
Q: Why were the gifts of Jim and Della useless?
The gifts of Jim and Della were very valuable, but they were of no use. It was so because Della had sold her beautiful hair and Jim had sold his gold watch. Neither of them was in a position to use the other’s gift.
Q: Who were the Magi?
The Magi were the three wise men from the East who brought gifts for Jesus Christ on his birth. The Christians follow their tradition and offer valuable gifts to their dear ones on the eve of Christmas.
Q: How vere Jim and Della superior to the Magi?
No doubt, the Magi were wise men. They realized the importance of the arrival of their prophet and offered him gifts on his birth. But Jim and Della were superior to them, as each of them sacrificed the most valuable thing to buy a gift for the other.
Q: What were the James Dillingham Youngs proud of?
The James Dillingham Youngs were very proud of two things: One was Jim’s gold watch and the other was Della’s beautiful hair. Jim inherited his watch from his grand father.
Q: Why did Della feel proud of the beauty of her hair?
Della thought thather hair was more beautiful that any queen’s jewels and gifts. it was brown, silky and extraordinarily long. It was superior to any queen’s treasures. She was proud of it.
Q: What did Jim think of his gold watch?
Jim knew that no king had anything as valuable as his gold watch. Jim thought that if a king had lived in the same house, he would have envied Jim’s Watch.
Q: How did Della look When her hair fell down?
Della’s beautiful hair fell about her and reached below her knee. It was shining like a falling stream of brown water. It almost made itself into a dress for her.
Q: Describe Della when she came out of her home?
She was wearing an old brown coat and an old brown hat. There was some good idea in her mind and her eyes were shining with this light. She moved quickly out to the door and went down to the street.
Q: Who Was Mrs. Sofronie?
Mrs. Sofronie ran a shop where different articles related to the hair were sold. Original hair was also bought and sold there.
Q: Mhy did Della sell her hair?
Della wanted to give Jim a Christmas gift. She had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. She could not buy any suitable thing out of this money. So she sold her hair to get money.
Q: What did Della do after selling her hair?
After selling her hair for twenty dollars, she went from one shop to another. She was looking for a suitable gift for Jim. After a long search of two hours, she succeeded in getting the desired thing.
Q: What gift did Della select for Jim?
She selected a watch-chain made of gold. She thought that the chain was a perfect match for Jim’s gold watch. Moreover, Jim needed it badly because his watch was without a chain.
Q: How beautiful was the gold watch-chain that Della bought for Jim?
This chain was simply made. Its value was in its rich and pure material. It was made of pure gold. It was very impressive like Jim himself.
Q: What was common between Jim and the chain?
There were so many things common between the gold chain and Jim himself. Della thought that both were pure, quiet and valuable. She also thought that the chain was made for Jim’s watch only.
Q: What were Della’s feelings when she came home after buying the gift?
She had mixed feelings. She was happy because she had at last found a valuable Christmas gift for Jim. She was sad because she had lost her beautiful hair. She was worried because she feared that Jim might not like that act.
Q: How did Della look after getting her hair cut?
It was for the first time that she had got her hair cut. She looked somewhat changed. With her short hair, she looked wonderfully like a schoolboy.
Q: Why did Della feel sad on losing her hair?
Della’s hair was extremely beautiful. It was long and shiny. Jim loved it. She was also proud of it. She became sad when she lost it. It was but natural.
Q: How did Delia receive Jim when he came home?
She held the chain in her hand and sat near the front door. When she heard Jim’s steps in the hall, her face lost colour. She prayed that Jim might not get angry with her on seeing her short hair.
Q: How did Jim look when he cane home in the evening?
When Jim came home in the evening, he looked everything and tired. He was not smiling. He was only twenty-two years old, but had to take care of the family. He needed a coat and a pair of gloves.
Q: Why did Jim not greet Della as usual when he stepped in?
When Jim stepped in, he was not as passionate as he used to be. It was so because he had sold his gold watch. He was not in a position to face Della properly.
Q: What gift did Jim take out of his coat pocket for Della?
Jim took out of his coat pocket beautiful Combs decorated with jewels. Della had once seen those combs in a shop-window. She wished to buy them, but could not do so because Jim could not afford it.
Q: What was the wisdom in selling the most valuable things?
Both Della and Jim loved each other very much. They could not celebrate their Christmas without exchanging gifts. Both had no money. So they sold their most valuable things to buy gifts.
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