It was Christmas Eve, and Dela was on a mission to find the perfect gift for her husband, Jim. She knew exactly what she wanted to get him—a new strap for his beautiful gold watch. Jim loved his watch, but the strap was old and worn out. Dela wanted to make it look amazing, but she didn’t have enough money to buy it.
As Dela walked past a shop window, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Her long, silky hair looked beautiful. Suddenly, she had an idea. “Yes, that’s it!” she thought. She decided to sell her hair to get the money she needed for Jim’s gift. Even though she loved her hair, she was excited about the surprise she was planning for Jim.
When Jim came home, he had a big smile on his face. “Dela, you’re going to be really surprised when you see what I got for you,” he said. Dela smiled back and replied, “I bet you’re going to be more surprised!”
Jim noticed Dela was wearing a scarf on her head. “Why are you wearing a scarf?” he asked. Dela explained, “I cut off my hair to get you a gift.” She was a little worried and asked, “Are you disappointed with my short hair?”
Jim smiled and said, “No, I love you no matter how short or long your hair is, and I always will.”
Jim handed Dela a box and said, “Open this first, and then you will know why I was a bit surprised.” Inside the box was a beautiful hairpin with sparkling jewels. Dela had always dreamed of having this hairpin but thought it was too expensive.
“Oh my goodness, thank you, Jim! I’ll grow my hair again!” she exclaimed with joy.
Then Dela said, “Alright, where’s your watch? I want to see how this looks on it.” Jim looked a little sheepish and admitted, “Actually, I sold my watch to buy your hairpin.”
Even though they both sold something precious to buy gifts for each other, Jim and Dela realized that their love was the most important gift of all. “This is such a special Christmas, don’t you agree?” Jim said.
“I love you, Dela,” Jim whispered.
“I love you too, Jim!” Dela replied with a smile.
And so, their love and care for each other made this Christmas truly unforgettable.
Gift of Love Collage: Create a collage that represents the theme of giving and love. Use old magazines, newspapers, or printed images to find pictures that show acts of kindness, love, and giving. Arrange these pictures on a piece of paper or cardboard to create your collage. Think about how Dela and Jim showed their love for each other and try to include similar ideas in your artwork.
Role-Playing Activity: With a friend or family member, act out the story of Dela and Jim. Take turns playing each character and think about how they felt during the story. After the role-play, discuss how it felt to give up something important for someone you love. What did you learn about the true meaning of giving?
Thoughtful Questions: Discuss these questions with a classmate or family member:
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music]
It was Christmas Eve, and Dela was looking for a special gift for her husband, Jim. She thought this would be perfect for Jim’s watch. Jim had a very nice gold watch, but the strap was quite old. Dela knew Jim felt self-conscious about his watch strap, and she wanted to make it look great. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough money at that moment.
Dela saw her reflection and her long, beautiful hair in the window. “Yes, that’s it!” she thought. “Are you sure you really want to sell this beautiful hair? You won’t regret it.”
Dela was sure. Her hair was silky and amazing. Now she had money to buy Jim’s gift. Although she missed her long hair, she was more excited about the gift she was going to give Jim.
“Jim is going to love this! It’s perfect!”
When Jim arrived, he said, “Dela, you’re going to be really surprised when you see what I got for you.”
Dela replied, “I bet you’re going to be more surprised!”
“Why are you wearing a scarf on your head?” Jim asked.
Dela explained, “I cut off my hair to get you a gift.”
“Are you disappointed with my short hair?” she asked.
“No, I love you no matter how short or long your hair is, and I always will,” Jim reassured her.
“Open this first, and then you will know why I was a bit surprised.” Inside the box was a beautiful hairpin with stunning jewels. Dela had always wanted this hairpin but thought it was too expensive.
“Oh my goodness, thank you, Jim! I’ll grow my hair again!”
“Alright, where’s your watch? I want to see how this looks on it.”
“Actually, to be honest, I sold my watch to buy your hairpin,” Jim admitted.
“This is such a special Christmas, don’t you agree?”
The love and care that Jim and Dela showed each other made Christmas even more special.
“I love you, Dela.”
“I love you too, Jim!”
[Music]
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This version maintains the essence of the story while removing any unnecessary or distracting elements.
