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Second Edition
GREAT
AMERICAN
STORIES I
An ESL/EFL Reader
beginning-intermediate to intermediate levels
C.G. Draper
CONTENTS
To the Reader iv
To the Teacher v
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI O. Henry 2
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 2
Exercises 9
LOVE OF LIFE Jack London 14
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 14
Exercises 23
THE STORY OF AN HOUR Kate Chopin 28
Before You Read the Story... 28
Exercises 35
THE TELL-TALE HEART Edgar Allan Poe 40
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 40
Exercises 48
A CUB-PILOT'S EDUCATION Mark Twain 54
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 54
Exercises 66
THE LADY, OR THE TIGER? Frank Stockton 72
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 72
Exercises 80
AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE
Ambrose Bierce 86
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 86
Exercises 95
A WHITE HERON Sarah Orne Jewett 102
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 102
Exercises 110
iii
TO THE READER
This book starts at the beginning-intermediate level. It ends
at the intermediate level. The first story in the book will be easy
for you. The vocabulary list for the first four stories has 600
words. The list for the last four stories has 1,000 words. The
longest sentences in the first story have 10 words. In the last
stories, they have 18 words. There is new grammar in each story.
By working on this book, you will improve your
reading
speaking and discussion
vocabulary
knowledge of word forms
writing
These stories were written many years ago by eight of
America's most famous writers. You will read about the writers'
lives before you read their stories. Special exercises will introduce
you to the world of each story before you read it. And after each
story you will find
2 reading exercises
2 vocabulary and word form exercises
2 discussion and language activity exercises
1 writing exercise
Good luck and good reading!
iv
TO THE TEACHER
GREAT AMERICAN STORIES I consists of eight careful
adaptations of famous stories by classic American writers and
exercises on each story in reading skills, vocabulary, discussion,
word forms, language activity, and writing. Prereading exercises
introduce the student to the world of the story; and one of the
prereading exercises in each lesson is based on a biographical
paragraph about the story's author that appears on the story's
title page.
The book is both graded and progressive — that is, the
vocabulary, grammar, and internal structure of the stories
increase in difficulty from the first story (which is at the
beginning-intermediate level of proficiency) to the last (which is
at the intermediate level). Structural, lexical, and sentence-length
controls have been used throughout the book. The head-word list
for the first four stories contains 600 words, while that used for
the final four c o n t a i n s 1,000. Maximum s e n t e n c e length
increases from 10 words in the first story to 18 in the final four.
New grammatical structures are added gradually, story by story.
And words from outside the head-word lists are introduced in a
context that makes their meaning clear; used again within the
next 100 words of text; and then repeated at least three more
times before the end of the story.
The exercises are so designed that the student must often
return to the text to check comprehension or vocabulary. In
addition, skimming and scanning exercises in the prereading
sections often involve rereading of the writers' biographies. In
short, an objective of the book is to involve the reader deeply in
the text of each story and the world of its author, and, toward
that end, to present exercises that are difficult if not impossible
to complete without a thorough understanding of the text.
Finally, the book is designed for use either in or out of
class — as a core reading text, ancillary text, or simply for pleasure
reading. Its in-class use can take a number of different forms:
teacher-student, student-student (pairs or small groups), student
alone, or student-tutor.
C.G.D.
v
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI
Before You Read the S t o r y . . .
1. A Life
Read the paragraph about O. Henry on page 3. To
you, what is the most interesting thing about his life?
2. The Pictures
This story is "The Gift of the Magi." (MAY-jai) T h e
word "Magi" means "wise men." The three kings on
page 7 are the Magi. Each king is carrying a gift. What
do you think these gifts are?
Look at the pictures on page 5 and page 8. The same
woman is in both pictures. Look at her face, her hair,
and her clothes. What is the same? What is different?
On page 8, the man is holding something in his
hands. What is it?
3. Thinking About It. . .
"The Gift of t h e Magi" h a p p e n s at C h r i s t m a s
(December 25). In many countries, people give gifts at
this time of year. At what other times of the year do
people give gifts? When do you give gifts? Why do you
give gifts?
4. Scanning
Read t h e q u e s t i o n s below. T h e answer to each
question can be found in the paragraph about O.
Henry on page 3. Read the paragraph quickly, looking
for the information that will answer each question.
You do not need to understand everything in the
paragraph. But you must read carefully enough to find
the answer to each question. This kind of reading to
find information is called scanning. Try to answer each
question in 30 seconds or less.
a. In what town was O. Henry born?
b. How old was he when he left school?
c. Why did he go to prison?
d. What is O. Henry famous for?
e. What is The Four Million?
f. How old was O. Henry when he died?
2
THE GIFT OF
THE MAGI
adapted from the story by
O. HENRY
O. Henry's real name was William Sydney
Porter. He was born in Greensboro, North
Carolina, in 1862. He left school at the age of
fifteen and worked in many different places. He
also spent three years in prison because he
took money from a bank. He started to write
stories while he was in prison. O. Henry is
famous for his stories with surprise endings.
"The Gift of the Magi" is his most famous story.
It is from the book The Four Million, stories
about the everyday people of New York City.
O. Henry died in 1910.
3
4 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
D elia counted her money three times. She had only
one dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.
And tomorrow would be Christmas. What Christmas gift
could she buy with only one dollar and eighty-seven cents?
Delia lay down on the old bed and cried and cried.
2 Let's leave Delia alone for a while and look at her
home. The chairs and tables were old and poor. Outside
there was a mailbox without mail, and a door without a
doorbell. The name on the door said MR. JAMES DILLINGHAM
YOUNG — Delia's dear husband Jim.
3 Delia knew that Jim would be home soon. She dried
her eyes and stood up. She looked in the mirror. She began
to comb her hair for Jim. She felt very sad. She wanted to
buy Jim a Christmas gift — something good. But what could
she do with one dollar and eighty-seven cents? She combed
her hair in the mirror and thought. Suddenly she had an
idea.
4 Now, Jim and Delia had only two treasures. One was
Jim's gold watch. The other was Delia's hair. It was long and
brown, and fell down her back. Delia looked in the mirror
a little longer. Her eyes were sad, but then she smiled. She
put on her old brown coat and her hat She ran out of the
house and down the street. She stopped in front of a door
which said, MME. SOPHRONIE. HAIR OF ALL KINDS. Madame
Sophronie was fat and seemed too white. The store was
dark.
5 "Will you buy my hair?" Delia asked.
6 "I buy hair," said Madame. Take off your hat Let's
see your hair."
7 Delia took off her hat. Her hair fell down like water.
Mme. Sophronie lifted Delia's hair with a heavy hand.
"Twenty dollars," she said.
8 "Give me the money now!" said Delia.
6 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
9 Ah! the next two hours flew past like summer wind.
Delia shopped in many stores for the right gift for Jim.
Then she found it — a chain for his gold watch. It was a
good chain, strong and expensive. Delia knew the chain
would make Jim happy. Jim had a cheap chain for his
watch, but this chain was much better. It would look good
with the gold watch. T h e chain cost twenty-one dollars.
Delia paid for the chain, and ran home with eighty-seven
cents.
10 At seven o'clock Delia made coffee and started to
cook dinner. It was almost dinner time. Jim would be home
soon. He was never late. Delia heard Jim outside. She
looked in the mirror again. "Oh! I hope Jim doesn't kill
me!" Delia smiled, but her eyes were wet. "But what could I
do with only one dollar and eighty-seven cents?"
11 The door opened, and Jim came in and shut it. His
face was thin and quiet. His coat was old, and he had no
hat. He was only twenty-two. Jim stood still and looked at
Delia. He d i d n ' t speak. His eyes were strange. Delia
suddenly felt afraid. She did not understand him. She
began to talk very fast. "Oh, Jim, dear, why do you look so
strange? Don't look at me like that. I cut my hair and sold
it. I wanted to buy you a Christmas gift. It will grow again —
d o n ' t be angry. My hair grows very fast. Say 'Merry
Christmas,' dear, and let's be happy. You don't know what
I've got for you — it's beautiful."
12 "You cut your hair?" Jim spoke slowly.
13 "I cut it and sold it," Delia answered. "Don't you
like me now? I'm still me, aren't I?"
14 "You say that your hair is gone?" Jim asked again.
15 "Don't look for it, it's gone," Delia said. "Be good
to me, because it's Christmas. Shall we have dinner now,
Jim?"
16 Jim seemed to wake up. He smiled. He took Delia
in his arms.
17 Let us leave them together for a while. They are
happy, rich or poor. Do you know about the Magi? The
Magi were wise men who brought Christmas gifts to the
baby Jesus. But they could not give gifts like Jim's and
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 7
Delia's. Perhaps you don't understand me now. But you will
understand soon.
18 Jim took a small box out of his pocket. "I love your
short hair, Delia," he said. "I'm sorry I seemed strange. But
if you open the box you will understand." Delia opened the
box. First she smiled, then suddenly she began to cry. In
the box were two beautiful combs. Combs like those were
made to hold up long hair. Delia could see that the combs
came from an expensive store. She never thought she
would have anything as beautiful! "Oh, Jim, they are
beautiful! And my hair grows fast, you know. But wait! You
must see your gift." Delia gave Jim the chain. The chain was
bright, like her eyes. "Isn't it a good one, Jim? I looked for
it everywhere. You'll have to look at the time one hundred
times daily, now. Give me your watch. I want to see them
together."
19 Jim lay back on the bed. He put his hands under
his head, and smiled. "Delia," he said, "let's put the gifts
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 9
away. They are too good for us right now. I sold the watch
to buy your combs. Come on, let's have dinner."
20 The Magi, as we said, were wise men — very wise
men. They brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The Magi were
wise, so their gifts were wise gifts. Perhaps Jim and Delia do
not seem wise. They lost the two great treasures of their
house. But I want to tell you that they were wise. People like
Jim and Delia are always wiser than others. Everywhere they
are wiser. They are the magi.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI
EXERCISES
A. Understanding the Main Ideas
Answer the following questions with complete sentences.
1. Why did Delia want to buy a gift for Jim?
2. Were Delia and Jim rich? How do you know?
3. What were Jim's and Delia's greatest treasures?
4. How did Delia get enough money for Jim's gift?
5. How did Jim get enough money for Delia's gift?
6. Who were the Magi, and what did they do?
7. Why does the writer think Delia and Jim were wise?
B. Close Reading
If the sentence is true, write "T" next to it. If it is not
true, write "F" for false. If the sentence is false, change
one word and make it true.
1. Delia and Jim had a door without a doorbell.
2. Delia was very happy before Christmas.
3. Madame Sophronie gave Delia two dollars for
her hair.
4. Jim had an expensive chain for his watch.
10 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
5. Jim was young, but his coat was old.
6. Delia laughed when Jim gave her the combs.
7. Jim didn't show Delia his watch.
C. Discussion
1. The writer, O. Henry, tells us that the Magi were wise.
He also says that Jim and Delia were wise. Why does he
say this? Were they all wise in the same way? Do you
agree with O. Henry?
2. A gift is one way of showing love. Do you think it is a
very important way? Why or why not?
3. Do you give gifts to everyone you love? Do you ever
give gifts to people you don't love? If so, why? If not,
why not?
D. Vocabulary Practice
For each space in the sentences below, choose the best
word from the following list:
merry watch wise
mirror gift count treasures
1. Delia needed to her money many times.
2. People say " Christmas!" on December 25.
3. When Delia looked in the , she saw her
long hair.
4. Delia's to Jim was a chain for his watch.
5. Delia's hair and Jim's watch were their two great
6. At the beginning of the story, Jim has a cheap chain
for his . At the end, he has no chain.
7. Jim's and Delia's door had no .
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 11
8. Were Jim and Delia to give the gift of love?
E. Word Forms: Nouns and Adjectives
Put the correct form of the word on the left in the blank
spaces on the right.
1. (sad / sadness) Delia's came from not
having enough money to buy Jim a present. But she
was not to lose the great treasure of
her hair. Why?
2. (wise / wisdom) People say that great
comes with great age. But I know children who are
very , and old people who are not.
3. (happy / happiness) When she was ,
all the p e o p l e a r o u n d h e r were merry. H e r
was like sun after a long rain.
4. (heavy / heaviness) The of Delia's
hair surprised Madame Sophronie. "With hair this
," she thought, "I will make a lot of
money."
5. (expensive / expense) Cars are an
that John doesn't like to have. So he always buys old,
cheap cars. But it is to keep an old
car on the road. So in the end he spends a lot of
money on cars that he doesn't like.
F. Language Activity: Interview
What is your greatest treasure?
When did you get it?
How did you get it?
12 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
Why is it such a treasure to you?
Would you ever sell it?
Would you ever give it away?
Write down your answers to these questions. Then, ask
two other people the same questions. Tell them about
your own treasure, to help them understand what you
want to learn. Write down their answers. Then tell your
classmates what you learned from the people you talked
with.
G. Writing: Madame Sophronie Speaks
In this exercise, you are Madame Sophronie. Answer
each question below. Use complete sentences. When
there are two questions together, join your answers using
the words in parentheses.
Example:
What is your name? Do you have a store in the city, or
in the country? (and)
My name is Madame Sophronie, and I have a store in the
city.
1. Do you buy hair, or do you buy gold chains? Do you
sell hair, too, or don't you? (and)
2. One day, did a young woman come into your store, or
was it her husband?
3. Did she want to sell her hair, or buy it? Did you tell her
to take her hat off, or to put it on? (and)
4. Was her hair beautiful, or ugly? Did you tell her that,
or not? (but)
5. How much did you tell her you would pay?
6. Did she need the money, or didn't she? Did she take it,
or not? (so)
7. Did you take her money, or did you take her hair? Did
you want to buy it later, or sell it later? (because)
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 13
After you have answered the questions above, put your
seven answers together into one paragraph. Then add
another paragraph, about this:
Then a rich woman came into your store. She wanted
to buy some hair. What did she say to you? What did
you say to her? Did you show her the young woman's
beautiful hair? Did she like it? How much did she pay
for it?
LOVE OF LIFE
Before You Read the Story...
1. A Life
Read the paragraph about Jack London, the writer, on
page 15. Why do you think he wrote adventure stories?
2. The Pictures
Look closely at the pictures on pages 17, 19, 21, and
22. Without reading the story, try to answer the
questions below. If possible, do this exercise with a
classmate, and report your answers to the class.
In the first picture, is one man walking away from the
other, or toward him? Why is one man on the ground?
Describe the man's clothes. What is he carrying?
Where are the two men? Describe the land.
In the picture on page 19, the bones of an animal are
on the ground. Why do you think the man is reaching
for the bones?
In the picture on page 22, do you think the animal is
friendly? Is the man in the picture sleeping, or dead?
In the picture on page 21, what does the man see in
the distance? What does his face tell you?
3. Thinking About It...
Tell your own story about the man in the four pictures.
Use all four pictures in your story.
4. Skimming
Sometimes we want to have a general idea about a
piece of writing before we read it carefully. This
exercise will show you one way of doing that
Read the first two sentences of each paragraph in
"Love of Life." Take one minute (60 seconds) to do
this. This kind of fast reading for the general idea is
called skimming. Next, try to answer the following
questions. Do not look back at the story to answer
them.
a. How many men are in the story at the beginning?
b. Does the man hurt his foot or his hand?
c. Is the man hungry, or thirsty? Warm, or cold?
Sick, or well?
d. Who finally finds the man? Is he alive, or is he
dead?
14
LOVE
OF
LIFE
adapted from the story by
JACK LONDON
Jack London was born of a poor family in
San Francisco, in 1 876. He left school at
fourteen, and became a sailor, a hunter, and
an explorer. His first long trip was to Japan.
When he was eighteen he returned to high
school for one year. Then he went to the
University of California at Berkeley. But again
he left after one year and began to write
seriously. In 1897 he went to the Klondike in
Canada. Many men went there to find gold.
London found adventures that he put into his
most famous stories and novels. London
continued to travel until a few years before his
death in 1916.
15
16 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
T wo men walked slowly through the low water of a
river. They were alone in the cold, empty land. All
they could see were stones and earth. It was fall, and the
river ran cold over their feet. They carried blankets on their
backs. They had guns, but no bullets; matches, but no food.
2 "I wish we had just two of those bullets we hid in the
camp," said the first of the men. His voice was tired. The
other man did not answer.
3 Suddenly the first man fell over a stone. He hurt his
foot badly, and he cried out. He lay still for a moment, and
then called: "Hey, Bill, I've hurt my foot." Bill didn't stop or
look back. He walked out of the river and over the hill. The
other man watched him. His eyes seemed like the eyes of a
sick animal. He stood up. "Bill!" he cried again. But there
was no answer. Bill kept walking.
4 "Bill!"
5 The man was alone in the empty land. His hands
were cold, and he dropped his gun. He fought with his fear,
and took his gun out of the water. He followed slowly after
Bill. He tried to walk lightly on his bad foot.
6 He was alone, but he was not lost. He knew the way
to their camp. There he would find food, bullets, and
blankets. He must find them soon. Bill would wait for him
there. Together they would go south to the Hudson Bay
Company. They would find food there, and a warm fire.
Home. The man had to believe that Bill would wait for him
at the camp. If not, he would die. He thought about the
food in the c a m p . And the food at the H u d s o n Bay
Company. And the food he ate two days ago. He thought
about food and he walked. After a while the man found
some small berries to eat. The berries had no taste, and did
not fill him. But he knew he must eat them.
7 In the evening he hit his foot on a stone and fell
down He could not get up again. He lay still for a long
GREAT
AMERICAN
STORIES I
An ESL/EFL Reader
beginning-intermediate to intermediate levels
C.G. Draper
CONTENTS
To the Reader iv
To the Teacher v
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI O. Henry 2
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 2
Exercises 9
LOVE OF LIFE Jack London 14
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 14
Exercises 23
THE STORY OF AN HOUR Kate Chopin 28
Before You Read the Story... 28
Exercises 35
THE TELL-TALE HEART Edgar Allan Poe 40
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 40
Exercises 48
A CUB-PILOT'S EDUCATION Mark Twain 54
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 54
Exercises 66
THE LADY, OR THE TIGER? Frank Stockton 72
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 72
Exercises 80
AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE
Ambrose Bierce 86
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 86
Exercises 95
A WHITE HERON Sarah Orne Jewett 102
Before You Read the S t o r y . . . 102
Exercises 110
iii
TO THE READER
This book starts at the beginning-intermediate level. It ends
at the intermediate level. The first story in the book will be easy
for you. The vocabulary list for the first four stories has 600
words. The list for the last four stories has 1,000 words. The
longest sentences in the first story have 10 words. In the last
stories, they have 18 words. There is new grammar in each story.
By working on this book, you will improve your
reading
speaking and discussion
vocabulary
knowledge of word forms
writing
These stories were written many years ago by eight of
America's most famous writers. You will read about the writers'
lives before you read their stories. Special exercises will introduce
you to the world of each story before you read it. And after each
story you will find
2 reading exercises
2 vocabulary and word form exercises
2 discussion and language activity exercises
1 writing exercise
Good luck and good reading!
iv
TO THE TEACHER
GREAT AMERICAN STORIES I consists of eight careful
adaptations of famous stories by classic American writers and
exercises on each story in reading skills, vocabulary, discussion,
word forms, language activity, and writing. Prereading exercises
introduce the student to the world of the story; and one of the
prereading exercises in each lesson is based on a biographical
paragraph about the story's author that appears on the story's
title page.
The book is both graded and progressive — that is, the
vocabulary, grammar, and internal structure of the stories
increase in difficulty from the first story (which is at the
beginning-intermediate level of proficiency) to the last (which is
at the intermediate level). Structural, lexical, and sentence-length
controls have been used throughout the book. The head-word list
for the first four stories contains 600 words, while that used for
the final four c o n t a i n s 1,000. Maximum s e n t e n c e length
increases from 10 words in the first story to 18 in the final four.
New grammatical structures are added gradually, story by story.
And words from outside the head-word lists are introduced in a
context that makes their meaning clear; used again within the
next 100 words of text; and then repeated at least three more
times before the end of the story.
The exercises are so designed that the student must often
return to the text to check comprehension or vocabulary. In
addition, skimming and scanning exercises in the prereading
sections often involve rereading of the writers' biographies. In
short, an objective of the book is to involve the reader deeply in
the text of each story and the world of its author, and, toward
that end, to present exercises that are difficult if not impossible
to complete without a thorough understanding of the text.
Finally, the book is designed for use either in or out of
class — as a core reading text, ancillary text, or simply for pleasure
reading. Its in-class use can take a number of different forms:
teacher-student, student-student (pairs or small groups), student
alone, or student-tutor.
C.G.D.
v
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI
Before You Read the S t o r y . . .
1. A Life
Read the paragraph about O. Henry on page 3. To
you, what is the most interesting thing about his life?
2. The Pictures
This story is "The Gift of the Magi." (MAY-jai) T h e
word "Magi" means "wise men." The three kings on
page 7 are the Magi. Each king is carrying a gift. What
do you think these gifts are?
Look at the pictures on page 5 and page 8. The same
woman is in both pictures. Look at her face, her hair,
and her clothes. What is the same? What is different?
On page 8, the man is holding something in his
hands. What is it?
3. Thinking About It. . .
"The Gift of t h e Magi" h a p p e n s at C h r i s t m a s
(December 25). In many countries, people give gifts at
this time of year. At what other times of the year do
people give gifts? When do you give gifts? Why do you
give gifts?
4. Scanning
Read t h e q u e s t i o n s below. T h e answer to each
question can be found in the paragraph about O.
Henry on page 3. Read the paragraph quickly, looking
for the information that will answer each question.
You do not need to understand everything in the
paragraph. But you must read carefully enough to find
the answer to each question. This kind of reading to
find information is called scanning. Try to answer each
question in 30 seconds or less.
a. In what town was O. Henry born?
b. How old was he when he left school?
c. Why did he go to prison?
d. What is O. Henry famous for?
e. What is The Four Million?
f. How old was O. Henry when he died?
2
THE GIFT OF
THE MAGI
adapted from the story by
O. HENRY
O. Henry's real name was William Sydney
Porter. He was born in Greensboro, North
Carolina, in 1862. He left school at the age of
fifteen and worked in many different places. He
also spent three years in prison because he
took money from a bank. He started to write
stories while he was in prison. O. Henry is
famous for his stories with surprise endings.
"The Gift of the Magi" is his most famous story.
It is from the book The Four Million, stories
about the everyday people of New York City.
O. Henry died in 1910.
3
4 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
D elia counted her money three times. She had only
one dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all.
And tomorrow would be Christmas. What Christmas gift
could she buy with only one dollar and eighty-seven cents?
Delia lay down on the old bed and cried and cried.
2 Let's leave Delia alone for a while and look at her
home. The chairs and tables were old and poor. Outside
there was a mailbox without mail, and a door without a
doorbell. The name on the door said MR. JAMES DILLINGHAM
YOUNG — Delia's dear husband Jim.
3 Delia knew that Jim would be home soon. She dried
her eyes and stood up. She looked in the mirror. She began
to comb her hair for Jim. She felt very sad. She wanted to
buy Jim a Christmas gift — something good. But what could
she do with one dollar and eighty-seven cents? She combed
her hair in the mirror and thought. Suddenly she had an
idea.
4 Now, Jim and Delia had only two treasures. One was
Jim's gold watch. The other was Delia's hair. It was long and
brown, and fell down her back. Delia looked in the mirror
a little longer. Her eyes were sad, but then she smiled. She
put on her old brown coat and her hat She ran out of the
house and down the street. She stopped in front of a door
which said, MME. SOPHRONIE. HAIR OF ALL KINDS. Madame
Sophronie was fat and seemed too white. The store was
dark.
5 "Will you buy my hair?" Delia asked.
6 "I buy hair," said Madame. Take off your hat Let's
see your hair."
7 Delia took off her hat. Her hair fell down like water.
Mme. Sophronie lifted Delia's hair with a heavy hand.
"Twenty dollars," she said.
8 "Give me the money now!" said Delia.
6 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
9 Ah! the next two hours flew past like summer wind.
Delia shopped in many stores for the right gift for Jim.
Then she found it — a chain for his gold watch. It was a
good chain, strong and expensive. Delia knew the chain
would make Jim happy. Jim had a cheap chain for his
watch, but this chain was much better. It would look good
with the gold watch. T h e chain cost twenty-one dollars.
Delia paid for the chain, and ran home with eighty-seven
cents.
10 At seven o'clock Delia made coffee and started to
cook dinner. It was almost dinner time. Jim would be home
soon. He was never late. Delia heard Jim outside. She
looked in the mirror again. "Oh! I hope Jim doesn't kill
me!" Delia smiled, but her eyes were wet. "But what could I
do with only one dollar and eighty-seven cents?"
11 The door opened, and Jim came in and shut it. His
face was thin and quiet. His coat was old, and he had no
hat. He was only twenty-two. Jim stood still and looked at
Delia. He d i d n ' t speak. His eyes were strange. Delia
suddenly felt afraid. She did not understand him. She
began to talk very fast. "Oh, Jim, dear, why do you look so
strange? Don't look at me like that. I cut my hair and sold
it. I wanted to buy you a Christmas gift. It will grow again —
d o n ' t be angry. My hair grows very fast. Say 'Merry
Christmas,' dear, and let's be happy. You don't know what
I've got for you — it's beautiful."
12 "You cut your hair?" Jim spoke slowly.
13 "I cut it and sold it," Delia answered. "Don't you
like me now? I'm still me, aren't I?"
14 "You say that your hair is gone?" Jim asked again.
15 "Don't look for it, it's gone," Delia said. "Be good
to me, because it's Christmas. Shall we have dinner now,
Jim?"
16 Jim seemed to wake up. He smiled. He took Delia
in his arms.
17 Let us leave them together for a while. They are
happy, rich or poor. Do you know about the Magi? The
Magi were wise men who brought Christmas gifts to the
baby Jesus. But they could not give gifts like Jim's and
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 7
Delia's. Perhaps you don't understand me now. But you will
understand soon.
18 Jim took a small box out of his pocket. "I love your
short hair, Delia," he said. "I'm sorry I seemed strange. But
if you open the box you will understand." Delia opened the
box. First she smiled, then suddenly she began to cry. In
the box were two beautiful combs. Combs like those were
made to hold up long hair. Delia could see that the combs
came from an expensive store. She never thought she
would have anything as beautiful! "Oh, Jim, they are
beautiful! And my hair grows fast, you know. But wait! You
must see your gift." Delia gave Jim the chain. The chain was
bright, like her eyes. "Isn't it a good one, Jim? I looked for
it everywhere. You'll have to look at the time one hundred
times daily, now. Give me your watch. I want to see them
together."
19 Jim lay back on the bed. He put his hands under
his head, and smiled. "Delia," he said, "let's put the gifts
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 9
away. They are too good for us right now. I sold the watch
to buy your combs. Come on, let's have dinner."
20 The Magi, as we said, were wise men — very wise
men. They brought gifts to the baby Jesus. The Magi were
wise, so their gifts were wise gifts. Perhaps Jim and Delia do
not seem wise. They lost the two great treasures of their
house. But I want to tell you that they were wise. People like
Jim and Delia are always wiser than others. Everywhere they
are wiser. They are the magi.
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI
EXERCISES
A. Understanding the Main Ideas
Answer the following questions with complete sentences.
1. Why did Delia want to buy a gift for Jim?
2. Were Delia and Jim rich? How do you know?
3. What were Jim's and Delia's greatest treasures?
4. How did Delia get enough money for Jim's gift?
5. How did Jim get enough money for Delia's gift?
6. Who were the Magi, and what did they do?
7. Why does the writer think Delia and Jim were wise?
B. Close Reading
If the sentence is true, write "T" next to it. If it is not
true, write "F" for false. If the sentence is false, change
one word and make it true.
1. Delia and Jim had a door without a doorbell.
2. Delia was very happy before Christmas.
3. Madame Sophronie gave Delia two dollars for
her hair.
4. Jim had an expensive chain for his watch.
10 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
5. Jim was young, but his coat was old.
6. Delia laughed when Jim gave her the combs.
7. Jim didn't show Delia his watch.
C. Discussion
1. The writer, O. Henry, tells us that the Magi were wise.
He also says that Jim and Delia were wise. Why does he
say this? Were they all wise in the same way? Do you
agree with O. Henry?
2. A gift is one way of showing love. Do you think it is a
very important way? Why or why not?
3. Do you give gifts to everyone you love? Do you ever
give gifts to people you don't love? If so, why? If not,
why not?
D. Vocabulary Practice
For each space in the sentences below, choose the best
word from the following list:
merry watch wise
mirror gift count treasures
1. Delia needed to her money many times.
2. People say " Christmas!" on December 25.
3. When Delia looked in the , she saw her
long hair.
4. Delia's to Jim was a chain for his watch.
5. Delia's hair and Jim's watch were their two great
6. At the beginning of the story, Jim has a cheap chain
for his . At the end, he has no chain.
7. Jim's and Delia's door had no .
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 11
8. Were Jim and Delia to give the gift of love?
E. Word Forms: Nouns and Adjectives
Put the correct form of the word on the left in the blank
spaces on the right.
1. (sad / sadness) Delia's came from not
having enough money to buy Jim a present. But she
was not to lose the great treasure of
her hair. Why?
2. (wise / wisdom) People say that great
comes with great age. But I know children who are
very , and old people who are not.
3. (happy / happiness) When she was ,
all the p e o p l e a r o u n d h e r were merry. H e r
was like sun after a long rain.
4. (heavy / heaviness) The of Delia's
hair surprised Madame Sophronie. "With hair this
," she thought, "I will make a lot of
money."
5. (expensive / expense) Cars are an
that John doesn't like to have. So he always buys old,
cheap cars. But it is to keep an old
car on the road. So in the end he spends a lot of
money on cars that he doesn't like.
F. Language Activity: Interview
What is your greatest treasure?
When did you get it?
How did you get it?
12 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
Why is it such a treasure to you?
Would you ever sell it?
Would you ever give it away?
Write down your answers to these questions. Then, ask
two other people the same questions. Tell them about
your own treasure, to help them understand what you
want to learn. Write down their answers. Then tell your
classmates what you learned from the people you talked
with.
G. Writing: Madame Sophronie Speaks
In this exercise, you are Madame Sophronie. Answer
each question below. Use complete sentences. When
there are two questions together, join your answers using
the words in parentheses.
Example:
What is your name? Do you have a store in the city, or
in the country? (and)
My name is Madame Sophronie, and I have a store in the
city.
1. Do you buy hair, or do you buy gold chains? Do you
sell hair, too, or don't you? (and)
2. One day, did a young woman come into your store, or
was it her husband?
3. Did she want to sell her hair, or buy it? Did you tell her
to take her hat off, or to put it on? (and)
4. Was her hair beautiful, or ugly? Did you tell her that,
or not? (but)
5. How much did you tell her you would pay?
6. Did she need the money, or didn't she? Did she take it,
or not? (so)
7. Did you take her money, or did you take her hair? Did
you want to buy it later, or sell it later? (because)
THE GIFT OF THE MAGI 13
After you have answered the questions above, put your
seven answers together into one paragraph. Then add
another paragraph, about this:
Then a rich woman came into your store. She wanted
to buy some hair. What did she say to you? What did
you say to her? Did you show her the young woman's
beautiful hair? Did she like it? How much did she pay
for it?
LOVE OF LIFE
Before You Read the Story...
1. A Life
Read the paragraph about Jack London, the writer, on
page 15. Why do you think he wrote adventure stories?
2. The Pictures
Look closely at the pictures on pages 17, 19, 21, and
22. Without reading the story, try to answer the
questions below. If possible, do this exercise with a
classmate, and report your answers to the class.
In the first picture, is one man walking away from the
other, or toward him? Why is one man on the ground?
Describe the man's clothes. What is he carrying?
Where are the two men? Describe the land.
In the picture on page 19, the bones of an animal are
on the ground. Why do you think the man is reaching
for the bones?
In the picture on page 22, do you think the animal is
friendly? Is the man in the picture sleeping, or dead?
In the picture on page 21, what does the man see in
the distance? What does his face tell you?
3. Thinking About It...
Tell your own story about the man in the four pictures.
Use all four pictures in your story.
4. Skimming
Sometimes we want to have a general idea about a
piece of writing before we read it carefully. This
exercise will show you one way of doing that
Read the first two sentences of each paragraph in
"Love of Life." Take one minute (60 seconds) to do
this. This kind of fast reading for the general idea is
called skimming. Next, try to answer the following
questions. Do not look back at the story to answer
them.
a. How many men are in the story at the beginning?
b. Does the man hurt his foot or his hand?
c. Is the man hungry, or thirsty? Warm, or cold?
Sick, or well?
d. Who finally finds the man? Is he alive, or is he
dead?
14
LOVE
OF
LIFE
adapted from the story by
JACK LONDON
Jack London was born of a poor family in
San Francisco, in 1 876. He left school at
fourteen, and became a sailor, a hunter, and
an explorer. His first long trip was to Japan.
When he was eighteen he returned to high
school for one year. Then he went to the
University of California at Berkeley. But again
he left after one year and began to write
seriously. In 1897 he went to the Klondike in
Canada. Many men went there to find gold.
London found adventures that he put into his
most famous stories and novels. London
continued to travel until a few years before his
death in 1916.
15
16 GREAT AMERICAN STORIES
T wo men walked slowly through the low water of a
river. They were alone in the cold, empty land. All
they could see were stones and earth. It was fall, and the
river ran cold over their feet. They carried blankets on their
backs. They had guns, but no bullets; matches, but no food.
2 "I wish we had just two of those bullets we hid in the
camp," said the first of the men. His voice was tired. The
other man did not answer.
3 Suddenly the first man fell over a stone. He hurt his
foot badly, and he cried out. He lay still for a moment, and
then called: "Hey, Bill, I've hurt my foot." Bill didn't stop or
look back. He walked out of the river and over the hill. The
other man watched him. His eyes seemed like the eyes of a
sick animal. He stood up. "Bill!" he cried again. But there
was no answer. Bill kept walking.
4 "Bill!"
5 The man was alone in the empty land. His hands
were cold, and he dropped his gun. He fought with his fear,
and took his gun out of the water. He followed slowly after
Bill. He tried to walk lightly on his bad foot.
6 He was alone, but he was not lost. He knew the way
to their camp. There he would find food, bullets, and
blankets. He must find them soon. Bill would wait for him
there. Together they would go south to the Hudson Bay
Company. They would find food there, and a warm fire.
Home. The man had to believe that Bill would wait for him
at the camp. If not, he would die. He thought about the
food in the c a m p . And the food at the H u d s o n Bay
Company. And the food he ate two days ago. He thought
about food and he walked. After a while the man found
some small berries to eat. The berries had no taste, and did
not fill him. But he knew he must eat them.
7 In the evening he hit his foot on a stone and fell
down He could not get up again. He lay still for a long