In the O. Henry story “The Gift of the Magi”, what did Della sell to buy a chain for her husband’s prized pocket watch?
The Gift of the Magi in New York City. The story was initially published in "The New York Sunday World" under the title "Gifts of the Magi" on December 10, 1905. It was first published in book form in the O. Henry Anthology "The Four Million" in April 1906. Mr. James Dillingham Young ("Jim") and his wife, Della, are a couple living in a modest apartment. On Christmas night, with only $1.87 in hand, and desperate to find a gift for Jim, Della sells her hair for $20 to a nearby hairdresser named Madame Sofronie, and eventually finds a platinum pocket watch fob chain for
The Gift of the Magi to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her ornamental combs. Although Jim and Della are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is. The story ends with the narrator comparing the sacrificial gifts of love with those of the Biblical Magi. The story has been adapted to films, "The Sacrifice" (1909), " Love's Surprises Are Futile" (1916), "The Gift of the Magi" (1917), a segment of "O. Henry's Full