The Gift of the Magi - O’Henry Author Introduction William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. His stories expressed the effect of coincidence on character through humour, grim or ironic, and often had surprise endings. He wrote 381 short stories. He wrote one story a week for The New York World Sunday Magazine for over a year. Some of his best and least known work is contained in Cabbages and Kings, The Four Million, and-so on. About the Topic O° Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’ was first appeared in The New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905 and was later published in O. Henry's collection The Four Million on April 10, 1906. It is a kind and inspiring story about two young people Jim and Della truly loving each other. Their love is revealed by their willingnesto sacrifice the most valuable things they own to bring joy to each other. Though they are poor, they have managed to experience joy through the power of their love for each Other. Young Couple — Jim and Della Jim and Della are poor young couple and they struggle to make both ends meet. Della counted the money she had saved. It was all total one dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day was Christmas. She wanted to buy her husband Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months. She could manage to save only $1.87. She had spent many hours planning for something nice for him. Two valuable Possessions There were two possessions of the Jim and Della in which they both took much pride. One was Jim’s gold watch andthe other was Della’s hair. Della decided to sell off her beautiful long hair for Jim’s’present on Christmas. And, she sold it for twenty dollars with that money she bought a\platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design. It was perfect for Jim’s gold watch. Jim's Gift At 7o"clock, Della was waiting for Jim to come home. When Jim came and saw Della's short hair, he was quite shocked. Della admitted to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him his*present. Jim gave Della her present, The Combs-the set of combs, side, and back, that Dellaiad always longed for. She looked at Jim with dim eyes and a smile, and said-"My hair stows so fast, Jim Conclusion Della showed Jim the chain for his watch. He told Della that he had sold his watch to get the money to buy her combs. Della and Jim sacrificed their greatest possessions for each other. The narrator wraps up the story by describing the magi who invented the art of giving Christmas presents. He compares Della and Jim to these wise men, and concludes that of all those who give gifts, these two are the wisest.Rip Van Winkle - Washington Irving Author Introduction Washington Irving was one of the most famous American authors of the nineteenth century. He is called the “first American man of letters.” Irving published his first piecesof writing, a series of satirical letters to the Morning Chronicle, a newspaper owned by oné of his brothers. Then he published about thirty stories, sketches and essays as The Sketelr Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. in 1819-1820. One among them in the collection a Beh Van Winkle’. About the Topic ‘Rip Van Winkle’ is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains. He awakes 20 years later to a very changed wort Shaving missed the American Revolution. Rip’s Life Rip Van Winkle lived in a small Dutch village in the Catskill Mountains, near the Hudson River. He liked to wander through town With his dog, Wolf, and tell stories to the neighborhood children. He was lazy and did agittle work as possible. His wife Dame nagged him about it all the time for his laziness. She yelled at him loudly. On the Mountain One autumn day, Rip and” Wolf went into the hills to escape Dame Van Winkle's yelling and fussing. There he\help the little man carry the keg. He heard thunder in the distance. After walking fof quite a while, they came to an open field, where Rip saw many little, bearded men bowling ninepins. There Rip drank three full glasses of liquor and he began to get sleepy. SY Back to Future», Rip ‘Yan Winkle woke up the next morning, his dog was gone, his clothes were tattered and t6rn, his gun had rusted, and his beard had grown a foot in length. He returns to his village, where he recognizes no one. He arrives just after an election, and people ask how he yoted. Never having cast a ballot in his life, he proclaims himself a faithful subject of King George Ill, unaware that the American Revolution has taken place. One elderly woman recognizes him as the long-lost Rip Van Winkle. Conclusion Van Winkle learns that most of his friends were killed fighting in the American Revolution, He is also met his son whose name is also Rip Van Winkle. He learns that his wife died. He also realizes that he has been away from the village for at least 20 years. His grown daughter takes him in and he resumes his usual idleness. He resumed telling stories to the neighborhood children, telling his own story most frequently.Marriage Proposal ~ Anton Chekov Author Introduction Anton Pavidvich Chekhov was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be‘one of the greatest writers in the world. He began his writing career with humorous stoties for local newspapers and journals. He revolutionized the ‘genre of short story; his subject matter and technique influenced many future short-story writers. Some of his well known works are The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. S About the Topic ‘A Marriage Proposal is « one act play by Anton Chekhov. This one act play is about the tendency of wealthy Russian families or people to seek marriage ties with other wealthy families or people to increase their estates by encouraging marriages that make good economic sense. The story revolves around the three major characters, Ivan Lomov, Chubukov and his daughter Natalya. ————— Part It English (11 Year - IV Semester) (Compiled and edited by Guest Lecturers) Page 70 Lomov’s proposal One fine day, Lomov arrives in a formal evening dress to meet Chubukov. On seeing him, Chubukov thinks that he has come to borrow money. He decides not to lend it to him but talks to him quite politely. Lomoy came to Chubukov’s house with a marriage proposal for Natalya. Chubukov gets joy on hearing it as Natalya has reached the marriageable age. Chubukov feels happy and agrees the proposal. First argument Lomov was not in love with Natalya, he wanted to marry her because he was suffering due to a weak heart and sleep-sickness. He needs a woman to take care of himself. Natalya approaches to meet Lomov. Instead of forwarding the proposal both of them stated fighting over truffles. Firstly they fought over a small piece of land called oxen meadows both of them claimed that the land belonged to them and not the other one. SOrpehow the argument came to an end. > Second argument Now once more Natalya and Lomov talk and they get into quirfel once more about their dogs - Guess and Squeezer. Lomov tells that he has got his dog Guess from Minorova for 125 roubels which she thinks too high cost. He thinks that it is Very cheap as his dog is a first rate dog. She thinks her dog Squeezer whose cost is 85yOubels is heaps better than his dog, even better than Volchantsky’s dog on points and pedigree Conclusion > While in argument both Lomov and Natalya use bad words for each other like intriguer, pup, rat, milksop, fool and in the end 'Lomov falls into an armchair and faints When he falls down unconscious in an armebgir, both Natalya and Chubukov are unnerved and worried. She starts crying thinking him Uead. Chubukov calls for a doctor. He threatens to shoot himself or cut his throat. SWhen Lomov comes to senses, Chubukov grabs the opportunity and blesses them for a happy married life.My Financial Career ~ Stephen Leacock Introduction Stephen P. H. Butler Leacock was a Canadian teacher, writer and humorist born in 1869 in England. He is known for his light humour along with criticisms of people’s follies. My Financial Career is a humorous story by Stephen Leacock with a humorous content. The story My Financial Career is an interesting story catching the humour. It accounts Leacock’s painfully embarrassing experience of the bank. Theme of the Story My Financial Career humorously presents a person’s first experience in the bank ‘The main theme of the story focuses on the tension and stupid actions happened im-the bank. There is a much fun and laughter when the narrator makes a clown of himselfthrough his words and behavior. Visit to Bank » Once, the narrator of the story visited the bank to deposit money. When he goes to the bank, he feels nervous. The bank, the clerks, the wickets, and”the sight of the money everything creates horror in the mind of the narrator. As as he enters the bank, he becomes an irresponsible idiot. The narrator wanted to pen a bank account because his salary had been raised fifty dollars a month. So he thought that the bank was the right place for it. x Leacock’s meeting with the Manager The narrator me! the accountant and a(¢6d him if be could see the manager alone. He did not know why he said alone. The accoumtant led him to the manager. The narrator asked him whether he was the manager and ifhe could see him alone. The manager looked at him in some alarm. He felt that the narrator had an awful secret to reveal. So, he took him in a private room. They were safe there from interruptions. Manager’s tension > The manager, from narrator’s mysterious manner, thought that he might be a detective. So, he asked the narrator whether he was one of Pinkerton’s men. The narrator replied that he was\jiot from Pinkerton’s and he came from a rival agency. He said that he was not a detectiip it all. He had come to open an account. He intended to keep all his money in that bank» The manager looked relieved but still serious. He concluded that he must be a very rich man, a son of Baron Rothschild or a young Gould. The manager asked the narrator if he wanted'to deposit a large amount. But when he learnt that the narrator wanted to deposit only fifty six dollars, his behavior has changed. He instructed the accountant to open the account. Conclusion Now, Leacock wanted to withdraw six dollars for the present use. Instead of writing six, he wrote fifty six and gave the cheque to the clerk. The clerk asked him if he was withdrawing the entire amount and not going to deposit any more. The narrator agreed with him and said never. The clerk prepares to pay him. He took the money and rushed out. ‘Thereafter, he kept his cash in trouser pockets and silver dollars in a sock. Since then, the narrator never visited the bank. Thus, the financial career of the writer came to a premature end.