EXHIBIT 10(a)

                        EMPLOYEE OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT
                   NON-QUALIFIED AND INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS
                                  PURSUANT TO
                           THE BOMBAY COMPANY, INC.
                      1996 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN


       This  Option  Award  Agreement ("the Agreement") is made this ___ day of
________, 2005 between THE BOMBAY  COMPANY,  INC.,  a Delaware corporation (the
"Company") and ____________________, an employee of the  Company  or one of its
subsidiaries (the "Employee").

       WHEREAS,  the  Company  desires to carry out the purposes of The  Bombay
Company, Inc. 1996 Long-Term Incentive  Stock  Plan  (the  "Plan") by affording
Employee the opportunity to purchase shares of the Company's  $1.00  par  value
common stock (the "Shares").

       NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set
forth  for  other  good and valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as
follows:

       1. Grant of Option.  The Company hereby grants to Employee the right and
          option (the  "Option")  to purchase an aggregate of _______ shares of
          the Company's Shares, such  Shares  being  subject  to  adjustment as
          provided  in  paragraph  8  hereof,  and  on the terms and conditions
          herein  set  forth  (the  "Option Shares").  Of  the  Shares  granted
          pursuant to this Option, _______  shares  are granted as an Incentive
          Stock  Option  within the meaning of Section  422A  of  the  Internal
          Revenue Code of  1954,  as  amended  (the  "ISO  Shares"), and ______
          shares are granted as a Non-qualified Option (the "NQO Shares").

       2.    Purchase Price.  The purchase price of the Option  Shares shall be
$_____  per Share, such purchase price being 100% of the fair market  value  of
such Shares on the date first appearing above (the "Date of the Grant").

       3.    Exercise of Option.

             A.     ISO  Shares:   Unless  expired  as  provided in paragraph 5
       below, and subject to the special provisions of paragraph  6  below, the
       Option for ISO Shares may be exercised from time to time in whole  or in
       part  for  not  more  than 25% of the entire number of ISO Shares at any
       time after the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, and an additional
       25%  of  the total ISO Shares  on  each  of  the  three  (3)  succeeding
       anniversaries of the Date of Grant.

             B.     NQO  Shares:   Unless  expired  as  provided in paragraph 5
       below, and subject to the special provisions of paragraph  6  below, the
       Option for NQO Shares may be exercised from time to time in whole  or in
       part  for  not  more  than 25% of the entire number of NQO Shares at any
       time after the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, and an additional
       25%  of  the total NQO Shares  on  each  of  the  three  (3)  succeeding
       anniversaries of the Date of Grant.

       4.    Manner of Exercise; Payment of Purchase Price.

             A.     Subject  to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the
Option shall be exercised by written  notice  to  the  Company at its principal
office.  Such notice shall state the election to exercise  the Option and shall
specify  the  number  of Option Shares sought to be exercised pursuant  to  the
notice.  Such notice of  exercise  shall  be  signed  by  Employee and shall be
irrevocable when given.

             B.     The  notice of exercise shall be accompanied  by  the  full
payment of the purchase price  for the Option Shares in cash by certified check
or bank cashiers check or through  satisfactory  arrangements  for payment by a
broker  representing  the  Employee  in  the sale of some or all of the  Option
Shares.   Subject  to  approval of an authorized  committee  of  the  Board  of
Directors (the "Committee"),  payment of the purchase price may be accomplished
by  the  surrender  of  stock  certifications  representing  Shares  having  an
aggregate fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the purchase price
of the Option Shares, or by a combination of cash and Shares.

             C.     Upon receipt  of  the  purchase  price,  and subject to the
terms  of paragraph 11, a certificate representing the Option Shares  exercised
shall be  registered  in  the  name  of the person or persons so exercising the
Option.  In the event the Option shall be exercised pursuant to paragraph 7, by
any person or persons other than the Employee, such notice shall be accompanied
by appropriate proof satisfactory to the Company of the right of such person or
persons to exercise the Option.  All Shares  issued  as a result of an exercise
of an Option as provided herein shall be fully paid and non-assessable.

             D.     The payment of withholding tax liability  by Employee shall
be a condition precedent to the Company's obligation to issue any  certificates
for Shares resulting from an exercise of an Option.

       5.    Exercise and Expiration of Option.  This Option, if not exercised,
shall  expire and become null and void upon the expiration of three (3)  months
after Employee  ceases to be employed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
(subject to being extended based upon service duration with the Company) unless
such termination  shall have been for cause, as determined by the Committee, in
which event the Option  shall  be  null  and  void  as  of  the  date  of  such
termination.   Notwithstanding  the above, if Employee retires from the Company
or  any  of  its subsidiaries (as determined  by  the  Committee  in  its  sole
discretion), the  Option may, at the Committee's discretion, remain exercisable
for a period not to  exceed  36 months following such retirement.  In the event
of Employee's death or permanent  disability,  the  Option shall be exercisable
for a period of 12 months following such death or disability.   Notwithstanding
the  above,  the Option shall, without exception, become null and void  once  a
period of 10 years  shall  have  lapsed  since  the  Date  of Grant.  Except as
provided in paragraph 6 below, only those portions of this Option  vested as of
the date of termination of Employee's employment may be exercised.

       6.    Acceleration of Exercise Dates.  Notwithstanding the provisions of
Paragraph  3  above relating to the vesting of this Option in installments,  at
any time prior to the fourth (4th) anniversary of the Date of Grant, (i) in the
event the Company's  annual  earnings  per share, measured as of the end of the
Company's fiscal year, equals or exceeds  fifty  cents  ($.50)  per  share, the
Option  Shares s hall be 100% vested effective with the public announcement  of
such earnings and (ii) the Committee may, in its discretion, permit this Option
to be 100% vested, until the expiration date provided in paragraph 5 above, for
the entire  number  of  Option  Shares  covered  hereby  upon the retirement of
Employee or any Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Plan).

       7.    Option Nontransferable.  Unless permitted by law or regulation and
approved by the Committee, the Option and any right related  thereto  shall not
be  transferable  by  Employee otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent
and distribution and may  be  exercised  during  Employee's  lifetime  only  by
Employee.   Upon  the  death  of  Employee,  the  Option  may  be  exercised by
Employee's executor, administrator, legatee or distributee, as the case may be.

       8.    Adjustments of Shares Subject to Option.  If any Shares  shall  at
any  time  be  changed  or  exchanged  by  reason  or  reorganization,  merger,
consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, combination  of
shares  or  a  dividend  payable  in stock, then the aggregate number of Option
Shares subject to this Agreement and  the  purchase price of such Option Shares
shall  be  automatically adjusted such that Employee's  proportionate  interest
shall be maintained  as before the occurrence of such event.  The determination
of any such adjustment by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.

       9.    No Contract.   This  Agreement  does not constitute a contract for
employment  and  shall  not  affect  the  right  of the  Company  to  terminate
Employee's employment for any reason whatsoever.

       10.   Rights as Shareholder.  This Option shall  not entitle Employee or
any permitted transferee to any rights of a shareholder of  the  Company  or to
any  notice  of  proceedings  of  the Company with respect to any Option Shares
issuable upon exercise of this Option  unless  and  until  the  Option has been
exercised for such Shares.

       11.   Restriction  on  Issuance  of  Shares.  The Company shall  not  be
required to issue or deliver any certificates  for  Shares  purchased  upon the
exercise  of  an  Option  prior  to  the  obtaining  of  any  approval from any
governmental agency which the Company shall, in its sole discretion,  determine
to  be necessary or advisable, and the completion of any registration or  other
qualification  of  such  Shares  under  any  state  or  federal  law, ruling or
regulations  of  any  governmental  body  which the Company shall, in its  sole
discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable.   In  addition,  if  Shares
reserved  for  issuance  upon  exercise of Options shall not then be registered
under the Securities Act of 1933,  the Company may, upon Employee's exercise of
any  Option,  require Employee or his  permitted  transferee  to  represent  in
writing that the  Shares  being acquired are for investment and not with a view
to distribution, and may mark  the  certificate  for  the  Shares with a legend
restricting  transfer  and  may  issue  stop transfer orders relating  to  such
certificate to the transfer agent.

       12.   Lapse of Option.  The Agreement  shall  be  null  and  void in the
event  Employee  shall  fail  to  sign  and return a counterpart hereof to  the
Company within thirty (30) days of its delivery to Employee.

       13.   Confidentiality    and    Non-Solicitation    Restrictions.     In
consideration of Employee's receipt of the  above  stock option grant, Employee
agrees as follows:

             A.     Employee will not disclose to any  person  any confidential
information  obtained  while  in the employ of the Company, including,  without
limitation, any of the Company's  inventions, methods of distribution, vendors,
customers or other trade secrets; provided,  however, that this provision shall
not preclude Employee from use of or disclosure  of information known generally
to the public or of information not considered confidential  by persons engaged
in the business conducted by the Company or from disclosure required  by law or
court  order.   Upon  termination,  Employee  shall  immediately  return to the
Company all documents, reports, files, memoranda, records, keys and pass cards,
software and other physical or personal property which Employee has received or
prepared or helped to prepare in connection with his or her employment which is
in  Employee's  possession  or  control  and Employee agrees not to retain  any
copies, duplications, reproductions or excerpts thereof.

             B.     Employee will not now  or  for  a period of one (1) year in
the future solicit and/or attempt to recruit employees of the Company for other
employment with any subsequent employer or attempt directly  or  indirectly  to
solicit  the trade or business of any current or prospective customer, supplier
or partner of the Company.

             C.     In  the  event Employee fails to comply with the provisions
of paragraphs A and B above, the  Company  shall  have the right to rescind any
transaction involving the Shares granted pursuant to  this Option up to six (6)
months prior to such failure to comply and for up to two  (2) years thereafter.
In  the  event of any such rescission, Employee shall pay to  the  Company  the
amount of  any  gain  realized or payment received as a result of the rescinded
exercise in such manner  and  on  such terms and conditions as may be required,
and the Company shall be entitled to  set-off  against  the  amount of any such
gain any amount owed to the Employee by the Company.

       14.   Binding Effect.  This Agreement shall be binding  upon  the heirs,
executors, administrators, and successors of the parties hereto.


       15.   Modification.   No change or modification of this Agreement  shall
be valid or binding upon the parties  unless  the  change or modification is in
writing  and signed by the parties; provided, however,  that  the  Company  may
change or  modify this Agreement without the Participant's consent or signature
if the Company  determines,  in  its  sole  discretion,  that  such  change  or
modification is necessary for purposes of compliance with or exemption from the
requirements  of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended,
or any regulations  or  other  guidance issued thereunder.  Notwithstanding the
preceding sentence, the Company  may  amend the Plan to the extent permitted by
the Plan.

       16.   Governing Instrument and Law.   This  Option and any Shares issued
hereunder shall in all respects by the terms and provisions of the Plan, and by
the  laws of the State of Texas, and in the event of  a  conflict  between  the
terms  of this Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall
control.

                                        THE BOMBAY COMPANY, INC.



                                        By:




Accepted and Agreed:



                                        Date: