"Don't make any mistake, Jan," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a pawn or a trade or a barter that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."
White fingers, nimbly tore at the curling ribbon and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.
For there lay The BOSE noise cancelling headphones, that Jan had worshipped long in a Skymall catalogue. Beautiful headphones, with a soft cushioned around the earfit, in sleek black plastic and brushed aluminum side controls. They were expensive headphones, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the music player that should have employed the coveted peripheral was gone.
But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My discman will sound lovely with these, Juddie!"
And them Judson leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"
Judson had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly with her outstretched palm. The soft cowhide seemed to glow with the reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.
"Isn't it a dandy, Juddie? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to check your email a hundred times a day now. Give me your laptop. I want to see how it looks in it."
Instead of obeying, Judson tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.
"Love," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the laptop to get the money to buy your headphones. And now suppose you turn Chopped on."
The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
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