Short stories from 100 Selected Stories, by O Henry →The Gift of the Magi

→A Cosmopolite in a Café →Between Rounds

The Skylight Room

→ A Service of Love

→The Coming Out of Maggie

→The Cop and the Anthem

→Memoirs of a Yellow Dog

→The Love-philtre of Ikey Shoenstein

→The Furnished Room

→The Last Leaf

→The Poet and the Peasant

A Ramble in Aphasia

→A Municipal Report

→Proof of the Pudding

 1

The Gift of the Magi In a small town nestled deep in the heartland,

Lived a couple whose love was like a strand,

Entwined and unbreakable, through thick and thin,

Their love shone bright like a diamond within.

John and Mary, their names like a melody,

Their love like a story, a beautiful fantasy,

They worked hard every day, just to survive,

But their love was what kept them truly alive.

As the years went by, their love grew stronger,

Their bond unbreakable, it couldn’t be longer,

They faced hardships and struggles, but never gave up,

For their love was a treasure, a priceless cup.

One day, as they sat on their porch, watching the sky,

Mary turned to John, a tear in her eye,

“Do you remember the painting you gave me long ago?

The one that’s still hanging, our love it does show.”

John smiled and nodded, “Yes, I remember that day,

It was your birthday, and I wanted to find a way,

To show you my love, my devotion, my all,

To make you feel special, to catch you if you fall.”

Mary’s eyes shone with a hint of sadness,

“I’ve been thinking about it lately, with a sense of madness,

I feel like I never gave you something that’s equal in return,

Something that shows you my love, that makes you yearn.”

John took Mary’s hand, and looked into her eyes,

“Mary, you’ve given me everything, it’s no surprise,

Your love, your support, your unwavering commitment,

Those are the things that matter, that give me contentment.”

Mary smiled, but the sadness still remained,

“I want to do something special, to show you my love unfeigned,

Something that will make you feel like a king,

Something that will make your heart sing.”

John was touched by Mary’s words and her devotion,

He knew how much she loved him, with an endless motion,

But he also knew that she was determined,

To find a way to show him, a love that was confirmed.

So Mary began to plan, in secret and with care,

She knew that John dreamed of going somewhere,

Somewhere special, somewhere far away,

Somewhere where their love could blossom and play.

She saved every penny she could, cutting back on luxuries,

Taking on extra shifts, and doing odd jobs with such curries,

She worked hard and saved more, until finally she had enough,

Enough to take John on a trip, a dream that was so tough.

Mary was elated, and her heart was beating fast,

She had planned the perfect trip, one that would last,

She had booked their flights, reserved their hotel room,

She had planned out every detail, even their lunch and their gloom.

Finally, the day of their departure arrived,

Mary could barely contain her excitement, her love revived,

She woke up early, packed their bags with glee,

And took John by the hand, to the airport they’d be.

As they arrived at the airport, Mary took out the tickets,

And handed them to John, his eyes like pickets,

He couldn’t believe it, he was speechless and amazed,

“Mary, how did you do this, how were you so unfazed?”

Mary hugged him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face,

“I did it for you, my love, I wanted to find a place,

A place where we could be happy, where our love could soar,

A place where we could be together, forevermore.”

John hugged her back, his heart overflowing with emotion,

“Mary, you are my life, my love, my endless devotion,

I don’t know how I could ever repay you,

For the love and the kindness that you always