A Gift for Christmas Summary and Explanation
PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 4 A Gift for Christmas Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from English Main Course Book
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PSEB Class 10 English Main Course Book Chapter 4 – A Gift for Christmas
“A Gift for Christmas” is an adaptation of O. Henry’s classic The Gift of the Magi (1905), a touching tale about a poor but loving couple, Jim and Della, who sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy Christmas gifts for each other. Set in early 20th-century New York, the story highlights love, selflessness, and the irony of true giving, showing that the real value of a gift lies in the heart behind it.
- A Gift for Christmas Summary
- A Gift for Christmas Summary in Hindi
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A Gift for Christmas Summary
“A Gift for Christmas” tells the poignant story of Jim and Della Young, a deeply devoted young married couple struggling with severe poverty in early 20th century New York City.
The story opens on Christmas Eve with Della counting her meager savings, only $1.87, mostly in pennies saved one or two at a time over many months. With Christmas Day approaching, she’s devastated that she cannot afford a worthy present for her beloved Jim. The couple lives in a shabby furnished flat costing $8 per week, barely manageable on Jim’s $20 weekly salary. Signs of poverty are evident everywhere in their home.
After crying, Della stands before the mirror and suddenly has an idea. The story reveals that the Youngs possess only two things of real value: Jim’s gold watch, a cherished family heirloom passed down from his grandfather and father, and Della’s magnificent hair, which cascades like brown water down to below her knees, her crowning glory and greatest beauty.
Making a sudden decision, Della lets down her beautiful hair one last time, then quickly puts on her old brown jacket and hat and rushes out. She goes to Madame Sofronie’s shop, which buys and sells hair. Without hesitation, Della sells her precious hair for twenty dollars. She then spends the next two hours searching stores for the perfect gift.
Finally, she finds it: a simple but elegant platinum watch chain, perfect for Jim’s treasured gold watch. It costs twenty-one dollars, and she buys it immediately, returning home with only 87 cents remaining. At home, she nervously examines her reflection, trying to curl her drastically short hair with curling irons. The tiny curls make her look like a schoolboy, and she worries anxiously about Jim’s reaction.
That evening at seven o’clock, as Jim arrives home from work, Della waits nervously with the watch chain. Jim, thin and serious at only twenty-two years old, already looks burdened by the responsibility of supporting a family. He needs a new overcoat and lacks gloves. When he enters and sees Della, he stops and stares with a strange, unreadable expression, neither anger nor surprise, but something that terrifies Della.
She rushes to explain: she sold her hair to buy his Christmas present, emphasizing that hair grows quickly and begging him to wish her Merry Christmas. Jim seems dazed, repeatedly asking about her hair as if unable to comprehend it’s gone. He assures her he loves her regardless of her hair, then pulls a package from his overcoat pocket.
When Della opens it, she first screams with joy, then dissolves into tears. Inside are The Combs, a beautiful set of expensive side and back combs she had admired in a Broadway shop window, longing for them but knowing they were far beyond her reach. They’re exquisite, costly, and now utterly useless since she has no long hair to wear them in.
Through her tears, Della shows Jim his gift, the platinum watch chain, perfect for his treasured watch. She tells him he’ll need to check his watch a hundred times daily now and asks to see how the chain looks on the watch.
But Jim doesn’t move. Instead, he sits on the couch, puts his hands behind his head, and smiles. He reveals the final, heart-breaking irony: he sold his gold watch to get money to buy her combs. Neither gift can now be used, the watch chain is useless without the watch, and the combs are useless without the hair.
Jim suggests they put away their Christmas presents and keep them for a while, as they’re “too nice to use just at present.” He then asks Della to prepare dinner, and the story ends with this quiet moment of mutual understanding.
The story’s message is profound: though their gifts proved materially useless, Jim and Della gave each other the greatest gift possible, proof of complete, selfless love. Like the Magi who brought precious gifts to honor the Christ child, they sacrificed what they valued most to honor each other. In their apparent foolishness lies the deepest wisdom: that love’s value isn’t measured in practical utility but in the willingness to sacrifice everything for the beloved’s happiness.
Summary of the Lesson A Gift for Christmas in Hindi
“ए गिफ्ट फॉर क्रिसमस” जिम और डेला यंग की मार्मिक कहानी बताती है, जो 20वीं सदी की शुरुआत में न्यूयॉर्क शहर में गंभीर गरीबी से जूझ रहे एक समर्पित युवा विवाहित जोड़े हैं।
कहानी क्रिसमस की पूर्व संध्या पर डेला की अपनी मामूली बचत गिनते हुए शुरू होती है – केवल $1.87, जो ज्यादातर कई महीनों में एक-एक या दो-दो पैसे करके बचाए गए पेनी हैं। क्रिसमस के दिन आने वाले हैं, और वह तबाह है क्योंकि वह अपने प्रिय जिम के लिए एक योग्य उपहार नहीं खरीद सकती। यह जोड़ा प्रति सप्ताह $8 का एक जीर्ण-शीर्ण फर्निश्ड फ्लैट में रहता है, जो जिम के $20 साप्ताहिक वेतन पर मुश्किल से प्रबंधनीय है। उनके घर में हर जगह गरीबी के संकेत स्पष्ट हैं।
रोने के बाद, डेला दर्पण के सामने खड़ी होती है और अचानक उसे एक विचार आता है। कहानी से पता चलता है कि यंग्स के पास केवल दो चीजें वास्तविक मूल्य की हैं: जिम की सोने की घड़ी, जो उसके दादा और पिता से विरासत में मिली एक क़ीमती पारिवारिक धरोहर है, और डेला के शानदार बाल, जो भूरे पानी की तरह उसके घुटनों के नीचे तक लहराते हैं – उसका ताज और सबसे बड़ी सुंदरता।
अचानक निर्णय लेते हुए, डेला अपने सुंदर बाल आखिरी बार खोलती है, फिर जल्दी से अपनी पुरानी भूरी जैकेट और टोपी पहनती है और बाहर भागती है। वह मैडम सोफ्रोनी की दुकान पर जाती है, जो बाल खरीदती और बेचती है। बिना किसी हिचकिचाहट के, डेला अपने क़ीमती बाल बीस डॉलर में बेच देती है। फिर वह अगले दो घंटे सही उपहार की खोज में दुकानों में बिताती है।
आखिरकार, उसे यह मिल जाता है: एक सरल लेकिन सुरुचिपूर्ण प्लैटिनम वॉच चेन, जिम की क़ीमती सोने की घड़ी के लिए बिल्कुल सही। इसकी कीमत इक्कीस डॉलर है, और वह इसे तुरंत खरीद लेती है, केवल 87 सेंट बचे हुए घर लौटती है। घर पर, वह घबराकर अपने प्रतिबिंब की जांच करती है, कर्लिंग आयरन से अपने बेहद छोटे बालों को कर्ल करने की कोशिश करती है। छोटे कर्ल उसे एक स्कूली लड़के जैसा बना देते हैं, और वह जिम की प्रतिक्रिया के बारे में चिंतित होती है।
उस शाम सात बजे, जब जिम काम से घर आता है, डेला घड़ी की चेन के साथ घबराहट से इंतजार करती है। जिम, केवल बाईस साल की उम्र में पतला और गंभीर, पहले से ही एक परिवार का समर्थन करने की जिम्मेदारी से बोझिल दिखता है। उसे एक नए ओवरकोट की जरूरत है और उसके पास दस्ताने नहीं हैं। जब वह प्रवेश करता है और डेला को देखता है, तो वह रुकता है और एक अजीब, अपठनीय अभिव्यक्ति से घूरता है – न गुस्सा न आश्चर्य, बल्कि कुछ ऐसा जो डेला को डराता है।
वह समझाने के लिए दौड़ती है: उसने अपने क्रिसमस उपहार खरीदने के लिए अपने बाल बेच दिए, इस बात पर जोर देते हुए कि बाल जल्दी बढ़ते हैं और उससे मेरी क्रिसमस कहने की भीख मांगती है। जिम स्तब्ध लगता है, बार-बार उसके बालों के बारे में पूछता है जैसे कि यह समझने में असमर्थ हो कि वे चले गए हैं। वह उसे आश्वासन देता है कि वह उसके बालों की परवाह किए बिना उससे प्यार करता है, फिर अपने ओवरकोट की जेब से एक पैकेज निकालता है।
जब डेला इसे खोलती है, तो वह पहले खुशी से चीखती है, फिर आंसुओं में घुल जाती है। अंदर द कॉम्ब्स हैं – साइड और बैक कॉम्ब का एक सुंदर सेट जिसे उसने ब्रॉडवे की एक दुकान की खिड़की में देखा था और उनकी इच्छा की थी, लेकिन जानती थी कि वे उसकी पहुंच से बहुत दूर थे। वे उत्कृष्ट, महंगी हैं, और अब पूरी तरह से बेकार हैं क्योंकि उसके पास उन्हें पहनने के लिए कोई लंबे बाल नहीं हैं।
अपने आंसुओं के माध्यम से, डेला जिम को उसका उपहार दिखाती है – प्लैटिनम वॉच चेन, उसकी क़ीमती घड़ी के लिए बिल्कुल सही। वह उसे बताती है कि अब उसे दिन में सौ बार अपनी घड़ी देखनी होगी और पूछती है कि घड़ी पर चेन कैसी दिखती है।
लेकिन जिम नहीं चलता। इसके बजाय, वह सोफे पर बैठता है, अपने हाथ अपने सिर के पीछे रखता है, और मुस्कुराता है। वह अंतिम, दिल तोड़ने वाली विडंबना को प्रकट करता है: उसने उसके कंघी खरीदने के लिए पैसे पाने के लिए अपनी सोने की घड़ी बेच दी। अब कोई भी उपहार इस्तेमाल नहीं किया जा सकता – घड़ी के बिना घड़ी की चेन बेकार है, और बालों के बिना कंघी बेकार हैं।
जिम सुझाव देता है कि वे अपने क्रिसमस उपहार दूर रख दें और उन्हें कुछ समय के लिए रखें, क्योंकि वे “अभी उपयोग करने के लिए बहुत अच्छे हैं।” फिर वह डेला से रात का खाना तैयार करने के लिए कहता है, और कहानी आपसी समझ के इस शांत क्षण के साथ समाप्त होती है।
कहानी का संदेश गहरा है: हालांकि उनके उपहार भौतिक रूप से बेकार साबित हुए, जिम और डेला ने एक-दूसरे को सबसे बड़ा उपहार दिया – पूर्ण, निःस्वार्थ प्रेम का प्रमाण। मागी की तरह जो मसीह बाल के सम्मान में क़ीमती उपहार लाए थे, उन्होंने एक-दूसरे का सम्मान करने के लिए जो वे सबसे अधिक महत्व देते थे उसका बलिदान किया। उनकी स्पष्ट मूर्खता में सबसे गहरी बुद्धि निहित है: कि प्रेम का मूल्य व्यावहारिक उपयोगिता में नहीं मापा जाता है बल्कि प्रियजन की खुशी के लिए सब कुछ त्याग करने की इच्छा में मापा जाता है।
Theme of the Lesson A Gift for Christmas
The story explores several interconnected themes:
Selfless Love and Sacrifice
The central theme is unconditional love expressed through personal sacrifice. Both Jim and Della willingly give up their most treasured possessions, things that define their identity and bring them joy, to make each other happy. Della sacrifices her beautiful hair, her crowning glory that reaches below her knees. Jim sacrifices his gold watch, a precious family heirloom passed down through generations. Their sacrifices are made without hesitation or regret, demonstrating that true love prioritizes the beloved’s happiness over personal attachment to material things.
Situational Irony
The story’s most powerful element is its dramatic irony. Both characters make enormous sacrifices to buy gifts that become useless: Della buys a platinum watch chain for a watch Jim no longer owns, and Jim buys expensive combs for hair Della has sold. This irony is not cruel but tender, it reveals that their sacrifices, though materially wasteful, are emotionally priceless. The useless gifts become the ultimate proof of their devotion.
Poverty and Dignity
Henry portrays poverty without sentimentality but with deep respect for the poor. The story shows how financial hardship affects daily life, Della counting pennies three times, the shabby flat, Jim’s need for a new overcoat and gloves. Yet poverty doesn’t diminish their dignity, love, or capacity for generosity. They maintain their humanity and values despite economic struggle, showing that wealth doesn’t determine worth or the ability to love deeply.
True Wealth vs. Material Wealth
The story distinguishes between having money and being rich in what matters. Jim and Della are materially poor but wealthy in love, devotion, and emotional connection. Their two treasures (the watch and hair) represent the only material wealth they possess, yet they sacrifice these willingly. The story suggests that spiritual and emotional riches far exceed material prosperity, and that relationships and love constitute true wealth.
The Wisdom of Love
The title references the Magi, the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus. O. Henry suggests that Jim and Della, despite appearing foolish for their impractical gift exchange, are actually the wisest of all. True wisdom lies not in practical calculation but in the courage to love without reservation. Their “foolish” sacrifice demonstrates wisdom that the materially comfortable might never understand, that love’s value transcends practical usefulness.
Identity and Self-Worth
Both treasures (hair and watch) are connected to identity. Della’s hair is her beauty, her feminine pride; Jim’s watch represents his family heritage and masculine dignity. Sacrificing these means sacrificing part of themselves. Yet they discover that their identity and worth lie not in these possessions but in their capacity to love. The story explores how we define ourselves and what we’re willing to give up for those we love.
The Spirit of Christmas
The story captures Christmas’s true meaning, selfless giving rather than material exchange. Jim and Della embody the spirit of the season more than any wealthy person buying expensive gifts. Their Christmas is materially impoverished but spiritually abundant, reminding readers that the holiday’s essence lies in generosity, love, and sacrifice rather than commercial transaction.
A Gift for Christmas Lesson Explanation
Passage: “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time. Three times Della counted it. And the next day would be Christmas.”
Word Meanings:
Pennies: smallest coins, one cent each
Counted: calculated, added up
Explanation: Della had saved only $1.87 for buying a Christmas gift. Most of it (60 cents) was in small pennies that she had saved very carefully over many months. She counted the money three times, hoping it would somehow increase, but it remained the same meager amount. Christmas was just one day away, making her situation more desperate.
Passage: “There was clearly nothing that Della could do except throw herself on the dirty little couch and cry.”
Word Meanings:
Couch: a sofa or settee for sitting/lying
Throw herself: collapse onto something in despair
Explanation: Della was so disappointed and helpless with the small amount she had saved that she fell onto the shabby couch and began crying out of frustration and sadness.
Passage: “While Della is crying let us take a look at her home which is a furnished flat at $8 a week. You see signs of poverty wherever you turn your eyes. What else can you expect when Della’s husband, Mr. James Dillingham Young, earns just $20 a week?”
Word Meanings:
Furnished flat: a rented apartment with basic furniture provided
Poverty: extreme poorness, lack of money
Earns: makes money through work
Explanation: The narrator describes the Young family’s living conditions. They rented a small, cheaply furnished apartment for $8 per week. Their home showed clear signs of poverty everywhere. This was natural since Jim earned only $20 per week, which was barely enough to cover their basic expenses.
Passage: “Della finished crying. She went up to the looking-glass and began to powder her cheeks. Then she stood by the window and looked out dully at a grey cat walking on a grey fence in a grey backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present.”
Word Meanings:
Looking-glass: mirror
Powder: apply cosmetic powder to make skin look fresh
Dully: without interest or brightness, sadly
Grey: dull, colorless (symbolizing her sad mood)
Explanation: After crying, Della composed herself by looking in the mirror and freshening up her face with powder. She stood by the window looking sadly at the dreary grey scenery outside, which reflected her gloomy mood. The repetition of “grey” emphasizes the bleakness she felt. She kept thinking about Christmas being the next day and having only $1.87 to buy a gift for Jim.
Passage: “She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Oh, the many happy hours she had spent planning for something nice for him! Something fine and rare, worthy of the honour of being owned by Jim.”
Word Meanings:
Expenses: costs, money spent on necessities
Calculated: estimated, figured out
Fine: excellent quality
Rare: special, unique
Worthy: deserving, good enough
Honour: privilege, special distinction
Explanation: Della had tried very hard to save money for months, but could only manage $1.87. Jim’s small salary of $20 per week didn’t stretch far enough to cover their living costs, which were always higher than expected. Despite having so little money, Della had spent many hours dreaming and planning to buy something truly special for Jim, something of excellent quality that would be worthy of someone as wonderful as her beloved husband.
Passage: “Suddenly Della turned away from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its colour all of a sudden. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.”
Word Meanings:
Brilliantly: brightly, with excitement
Lost its colour: turned pale (from fear or shock)
Rapidly:quickly
Explanation: A sudden idea struck Della’s mind. She turned from the window to the mirror. Her eyes sparkled with excitement at her new idea, but her face turned pale because she knew what she had to do would be difficult. She quickly pulled down her long hair and let it cascade down to see its full length, as she thought of selling it.
Passage: “Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took great pride. One was Jim’s gold watch that had been his father’s and his grandfather’s. The other was Della’s hair.”
Word Meanings:
Possessions: belongings, things owned
Took great pride: were very proud of, treasured highly
Grandfather’s: belonging to one’s father’s father
Explanation: Despite being poor, the Young couple had two treasures they were extremely proud of. Jim owned a valuable gold watch that was a family heirloom, passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Della’s treasure was her naturally beautiful long hair. These were the only valuable things they possessed.
Passage: “Della let fall her beautiful hair and it looked like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knees. Quickly and nervously she combed it and did it up again. For a minute she faltered. Tears appeared in her eyes.”
Word Meanings:
Cascade: waterfall, flowing stream
Nervously: anxiously, with worry
Did it up: tied or arranged hair
Faltered: hesitated, wavered in determination
Explanation: Della’s magnificent hair fell down like a flowing brown waterfall, reaching below her knees. She nervously combed through it and put it back up. For a moment she hesitated, uncertain about her decision to sell it, and tears came to her eyes as she thought about losing her precious hair.
Passage: “That was only for a moment. She put on her old brown jacket, she put on her old brown hat. With her eyes shining brightly she fluttered out of the door and down the stairs to the street.”
Word Meanings:
Fluttered: moved quickly and lightly, like a bird
Shining brightly: gleaming with determination and excitement
Explanation: Della’s hesitation lasted only briefly. She quickly put on her old brown jacket and hat, and with renewed determination (shown by her bright, shining eyes), she hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street, ready to sell her hair.
Passage: “She stopped at a shop with the sign ‘M’me Sofronio. Hair Goods of All Kinds.’ The shop was located on the second floor. Della ran up the stairs. ‘Will you buy my hair?’ asked Della. ‘I buy hair,’ said Madame. ‘Take your hat off and let me have a look at it.’ Down came the brown cascade.”
Word Meanings:
M’me: abbreviation for Madame (Mrs.)
Hair Goods: hair products, wigs, hairpieces made from real hair
Explanation: Della found a shop owned by Madame Sofronio that dealt in buying and selling hair products. The shop was on the second floor, and Della eagerly ran up the stairs. She asked directly if Madame would buy her hair. Madame agreed and asked to see it. Della removed her hat and let her beautiful long brown hair fall down for inspection.
Passage: “‘Twenty dollars,’ said Madame, lifting the beautiful hair with her experienced hand. ‘Give it to me quickly,’ said Della.”
Word Meanings:
Experienced: skilled, knowledgeable from practice
Explanation: Madame Sofronio, who was experienced in evaluating hair, examined Della’s beautiful hair and offered twenty dollars for it. Della immediately accepted, saying “Give it to me quickly” before she could change her mind or feel more regret about losing her treasure.
Passage: “Della spent the next two hours in the stores eagerly looking for Jim’s present.”
Word Meanings:
Eagerly: enthusiastically, with great interest and excitement
Explanation: With the twenty dollars in hand, Della spent the next two hours searching various stores with great enthusiasm and determination to find the perfect Christmas gift for Jim.
Passage: “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. It was a platinum watch-chain, simple but well made. It was worthy of the watch. As soon as she saw it she decided that it was the right present for Jim. She paid twenty-one dollars for it and hurried home with the 87 cents that remained.”
Word Meanings:
Platinum: a precious silvery-white metal, more valuable than gold
Watch-chain: a decorative chain attached to a pocket watch
Worthy: deserving, appropriate for
Remained: was left over
Explanation: Finally, Della found the perfect gift, a platinum watch chain that was simple yet beautifully crafted. She felt it had been made especially for Jim and his precious watch. It was unique and couldn’t be found anywhere else. She immediately knew it was the right choice. The chain cost twenty-one dollars (twenty from selling her hair plus $1.13 from her savings), leaving her with only 87 cents.
Passage: “When Della reached home, pleased with the present, she grew nervous as she thought calmly about what she had done. She looked at the reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically. She brought out her curling irons and began to curl her hair carefully. The tiny curls made her look like a schoolboy.”
Word Meanings:
Reflection: image in the mirror
Critically: judgmentally, examining faults
Curling irons: heated metal tool for curling hair
Explanation: When Della got home, she was initially happy with the gift she had bought. However, she became anxious when she thought about what she had actually done, cutting off her beautiful long hair. She examined herself in the mirror for a long time, looking critically at her appearance. She used curling irons to style her now very short hair, but the small curls made her look like a young boy rather than a woman.
Passage: “‘If Jim doesn’t kill me,’ she said to herself, ‘before he takes a second look at me, he’ll say I look like a boy. But what could I do, Oh! What could I do with a dollar and eighty-seven cents?'”
Word Meanings:
Kill me: (figuratively) be extremely upset with me
Explanation: Della worried that Jim would be shocked or very upset when he first saw her short hair. She feared he might think she looked like a boy. But she consoled herself by remembering that she had no choice, $1.87 was simply not enough to buy anything worthy of Jim.
Passage: “At seven o’clock the coffee was made and everything arranged to get dinner ready. Jim was never late. Della sat on the corner of the table near the door with the watch chain in her hand. Then she heard his step on the stairs. She turned white for just a moment. She prayed, ‘Please God, make him think I am still pretty.'”
Word Meanings:
Arranged: prepared, organized
Turned white: became pale with fear
Prayed: spoke to God, asked for help
Explanation: By seven o’clock, Della had prepared dinner and everything was ready. Jim was always punctual. Della sat nervously near the door, holding the watch chain in her hand. When she heard Jim’s footsteps on the stairs, she became pale with fear and anxiety. She prayed to God that Jim would still find her attractive even without her long hair.
Passage: “The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two, and he was burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves. Jim’s eyes were fixed on Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was neither anger, nor surprise. He simply stared at her with a strange expression on his face.”
Word Meanings:
Burdened: loaded with responsibility, weighed down
Overcoat: heavy winter coat
Fixed: focused steadily
Expression: look showing feelings
Terrified: extremely frightened
Stared: looked fixedly with wide eyes
Explanation: Jim entered the apartment looking thin and serious. He was only 22 years old but carried the heavy responsibility of supporting a family. He was so poor he couldn’t afford a new overcoat or even gloves for winter. When Jim saw Della, he stared at her with a strange, unreadable expression that frightened her. It wasn’t anger or surprise, but something else she couldn’t understand.
Passage: “Della got off the table and moved towards him. ‘Jim, darling,’ she cried, ‘don’t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I had to buy a Christmas present for you. I just had to do it. My hair grows so fast, you don’t mind, do you? Say “Merry Christmas!” Jim, and let’s be happy. You don’t know what a nice, what a beautiful present I’ve got for you.'”
Word Meanings:
Darling: term of affection, beloved
Don’t mind: are not upset, don’t object
Explanation: Della jumped up and rushed toward Jim, speaking nervously and rapidly. She begged him not to look at her so strangely. She explained that she had cut and sold her hair to buy him a Christmas present and had no other choice. She tried to reassure him that her hair grows quickly and asked him not to be upset. She urged him to wish her “Merry Christmas” and be happy, reminding him about the beautiful present she had bought for him.
Passage: “‘You’ve cut off your hair?’ asked Jim, speaking with difficulty. ‘Cut it off and sold it,’ said Della. ‘Don’t you like me just as well, without my hair?’ Jim looked about the room curiously. ‘You say, your hair is gone?’ he said with an air almost of disbelief.”
Word Meanings:
Speaking with difficulty: struggling to speak, finding it hard to talk
Curiously: strangely, oddly
Air of disbelief: manner suggesting he couldn’t believe it
Explanation: Jim struggled to speak and asked if Della had really cut off her hair. Della confirmed she had cut and sold it, then anxiously asked if he still loved her without her long hair. Jim looked around the room strangely and repeated his question about her hair being gone, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His reaction was because he had just bought her expensive combs for that very hair.
Passage: “‘You needn’t look for it,’ said Della. ‘It’s sold, I tell you, sold and gone. It’s Christmas Eve, Jim. Be good to me, because I did it all for you.'”
Word Meanings:
Needn’t: don’t need to
Be good to me: be kind, don’t be angry
Explanation: Della told Jim to stop looking around for her hair because it was definitely gone, sold and not coming back. She reminded him it was Christmas Eve and pleaded with him to be understanding and kind because she had made this sacrifice entirely out of love for him.
Passage: “Jim seemed to wake up at last, and to understand. He kissed Della. He suddenly remembered that he had bought something for Della too. He drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.”
Word Meanings:
Wake up: (figuratively) come out of shock, return to awareness
Drew: pulled out, took out
Package: wrapped gift box
Explanation: Jim finally snapped out of his shocked state and seemed to understand the situation. He lovingly kissed Della, showing he wasn’t angry. Then he remembered his own gift for her. He pulled out a wrapped package from his coat pocket and placed it on the table.
Passage: “‘Don’t make any mistake, Dell,’ he said, ‘about me. Whatever happens I shall always love you just the same. Now open the package and you will understand why I behaved as I did.'”
Word Meanings:
Make any mistake: misunderstand, have wrong ideas
Behaved: acted, reacted
Explanation: Jim reassured Della not to misunderstand his strange reaction. He wanted her to know that nothing could change his love for her. He asked her to open his gift, promising that it would explain why he had reacted so strangely when he saw her short hair.
Passage: “Della’s white fingers quickly opened the package. And then at first a scream of joy followed by a quick feminine change to tears.”
Word Meanings:
Scream: loud cry
Feminine: characteristic of women
Followed by: came after
Explanation: Della eagerly opened the package with her pale, trembling fingers. She first screamed with joy when she saw what was inside, but then her emotions quickly changed (as women often do) and she burst into tears, realizing the irony of the situation.
Passage : “For there lay The Combs, the set of combs, side and back, that Della had seen in a Broadway window and liked so much. They were beautiful combs, so expensive and they were hers now. But alas, the hair in which she was to wear them was sold and gone! She took them up lovingly, smiled through her tears and said, ‘My hair grows so fast, Jim!'”
Word Meanings:
Set of combs: matching hair combs for decoration
Broadway: famous shopping street in New York
Alas: expression of grief or regret
Lovingly: with great affection
Smiled through her tears: smiled while crying
Explanation: The package contained the beautiful, expensive decorative combs that Della had admired in a shop window on Broadway. They were now hers, but sadly, she no longer had the long, beautiful hair to wear them in. Despite the tragic irony, Della picked up the combs lovingly and smiled through her tears, optimistically telling Jim that her hair would grow back quickly.
Passage : “And then Della jumped up like a little cat and cried, ‘Oh, oh!'”
Word Meanings:
Jumped up: sprang up suddenly
Explanation: Suddenly Della remembered her own gift for Jim. She jumped up excitedly like a playful cat and cried out in excitement.
Passage: “Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly on her open palm.”
Word Meanings:
Held it out: extended, offered
Eagerly: enthusiastically, excitedly
Open palm: flat, open hand
Explanation: Jim hadn’t yet seen the gift Della bought for him. She excitedly held out the platinum watch chain on her open hand, eager to show him what she had bought.
Passage: “‘Isn’t it lovely, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at your watch a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.'”
Word Meanings:
Lovely: beautiful, wonderful
Hunted: searched thoroughly
All over town: everywhere in the city
Explanation: Della asked Jim if he thought the watch chain was beautiful. She told him how she had searched all over the city to find it. She joked that now he would want to check his watch constantly because it would look so good with the chain. She asked to see his watch so she could see how the chain looked attached to it.
Passage: “Instead of obeying, Jim sat down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.”
Word Meanings:
Obeying: doing as asked
Instead: rather than that
Explanation: Instead of showing Della his watch as she requested, Jim sat down on the couch, put his hands behind his head in a relaxed position, and smiled knowingly. He knew he had to tell her something.
Passage: “‘Dell,’ said he, ‘let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep them awhile. They are too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now please get the dinner ready.'”
Word Meanings:
Put away: store for later
Awhile: for some time
At present: right now, currently
Explanation: Jim suggested they should store both gifts away for the time being because they were too valuable to use immediately. Then he revealed the final irony: he had sold his precious gold watch to buy the expensive combs for Della’s hair. So now Della had no hair for the combs, and Jim had no watch for the chain. Both had sacrificed their most precious possessions out of love for each other, making both gifts temporarily useless but emotionally priceless. Jim then calmly asked Della to prepare dinner, showing his mature acceptance of the situation.
Conclusion
This post on the lesson A Gift for Christmas for PSEB Class 10 Main Course book provides the summary, explanation and word meanings. Students can access the post and revise the lesson quickly.