The little match girl

It was the last day of the year, Christmas Eve, and it was dreadfully cold.

A little match-girl was walking in the street. Her clothes were old and patched, and her mother's slippers were on her feet. But what was the use of that? She was still cold and hungry, and the wind made her shiver. She had boxes of matches in her pocket, and all the way she kept saying, "Matches, matches!" With people buying holiday food and gifts, who cares?

It was nearly noon, and she had not sold a single match. No kind-hearted person had ever given her a penny. As she walked, she stopped at the window of a building, and the interior attracted her. Oh, how beautiful the Christmas tree in the room and the candy paper in those two children's hands.

Looking at his happy face, the little girl thought of her sick mother and her dead grandmother, and cried sadly. What's the use of crying? The little girl dried her tears and walked on. "Matches, matches! Uncle, aunt, buy some matches!"

But no one heard her as people rushed home from buying holiday presents. She looked so beautiful with the snowflakes falling on her long, golden hair, but no one noticed her.

As she walked along, a carriage came rushing by, and she ran away with her slippers. When the carriage passed, she hurried to look for her shoes. They are mother's slippers. Mother is still in bed. But one was lost and the other was kicked away by a boy as a football. The little girl had to walk on her bare feet, which were red and swollen from the cold snow.

As it grew dark, there were fewer and fewer people on the street until the little girl was alone. Lights were on in the houses along the street, and laughter was heard from the Windows. The delicious smell of roast goose wafted from the grocer and the little girl's stomach rumbled with hunger. The little girl wanted to go home, but she had not sold a single match. How could she buy medicine for her mother?

The snow was falling so hard that the streets were covered with a thick white carpet. The little girl, who had had nothing to eat or drink all day, sat down in a corner. She rubbed her red, swollen feet with her little hands, and in a moment they too froze. Really cold ah, if lit a small match, can also warm the body ah. She dare? At last she drew out a match and struck it against the wall. Small flames burst forth. The little girl held her hand over the flame, and how beautiful and warm it was! It seemed to her that she was sitting by a fire, and how much fire was burning in it. Just as the little girl stretched out her feet to warm herself, the fire died out, and the stove disappeared, leaving only the stubs of the burnt matches.

She rubbed another one on. Whew! The flames burst forth again, shining brightly. The walls were illuminated and transparent, and she seemed to see something in the room. The table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth and covered with all kinds of delicious things. Suddenly a roasted goose, full of apples and plums, jumped from the plate and came staggering towards her with a knife and fork in its back. Several large loaves jumped down from the table and one by one came up to her like soldiers. But just then the match went out again, and there was only the black and cold wall before her.

The little girl could not bear to strike the match, but she was trembling with cold. Helpless under, she wiped a root again, chi! A bright flame burst forth. Wow!!!! What a beautiful Christmas tree it was, the biggest and most beautiful she had ever seen. There are many colorful Christmas cards hanging on the Christmas tree, which are painted with all kinds of beautiful pictures. Thousands of candles lit the tree and twinkled as if the stars were winking at her. The little girl stretched out her hand. Alas, the match went out again.

The little girl struck a match again, and saw the candles rise into bright stars. One of the stars fell down and traced a long line of fire in the sky. "Someone is dying." "Said the little girl. For her grandmother, who loved her only, had told her, when she was alive, that when a star falls a soul is going to God.

The little girl struck a match again, and in the light of the light, which shone round her, appeared the grandmother. Her grandmother smiled at her, so gently, so kindly. "Grandma --" Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes and she threw herself into her grandmother's arms. "Grandmother, take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out. You will go away like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the beautiful Christmas-tree." The little girl struck the matches one by one, for she wanted very much to keep her grandmother. The matches gave off a strong light that was brighter than the day. Grandma had never been so beautiful or so tall. The grandmother picked up the little girl and held her in her arms. They both flew in light and joy. Higher and higher they flew to heaven, where there was no cold and no hunger, to be with God.

The match went out, and the little girl closed her eyes happily in darkness.

New Year's morning, the snow stopped, the wind is small, the sun rose, shining on the earth golden. The adults came to the street, everyone congratulated happy New Year. The children, in their new clothes, were having snow fights happily.

At this moment, they saw a little girl frozen to death in the corner. Her cheeks were red and her mouth was smiling. Match sticks were scattered about her, and she held a match in her small hand.