It was New Years' s Eve.
The brightly lighted shop windows were full of good things to eat and pretty toys. The people hurried along, laughing and talking.
The didn't mind the snow and the icy wind for they were warmly dressed and were going home to hot dinners and roaring fires: but the little girl selling matches crouched against the wall and shivered.
She had been trying to sell her matches all day, but no one wanted them and she was afraid to go home without any money.
Her feet were bare, for she had lost her shoes in the mud and slush and the cart wheels had torn them to pieces.
"Perhaps if I light a match I might warm my fingers", she thought. She struck a match and as she warmed her hands it seemed as though she was sitting before a bright fire. As the match went out, the fire faded and she shivered again.
Dare she strike another match?
As the light flickered, the wall beside her disappeared and she could see into a bright room where a table was laid with wonderful food.
To her astonishment, a roast goose with a knife and fork ready for carving came towards her but, as she stretched out her hands, the march went out.
" I must strike another match", whispered the little girl and this time she found that she was sitting by a huge Christmas tree.
Candles and presents covered the tree and the little match girl held out her hands to take the lovely doll which seemed to smile at her: but as her match flickered out, the Christmas candles turned into stars and one of them shot across the sky towards her.
"That is my grandmother in heaven", declared the little girl and quickly she struck all the matches that were left.
"Come to me, grandmother!" she cried and gentle arms lifted her from the snowy street into a warm peace.
When the frozen little match girl was found on New Year's Day, people said, "How sad, she tried to warm herself by lighting her matches." No one knew of the lovely visions she had seen before she joined her grandmother in Paradise.
The brightly lighted shop windows were full of good things to eat and pretty toys. The people hurried along, laughing and talking.
The didn't mind the snow and the icy wind for they were warmly dressed and were going home to hot dinners and roaring fires: but the little girl selling matches crouched against the wall and shivered.
She had been trying to sell her matches all day, but no one wanted them and she was afraid to go home without any money.
Her feet were bare, for she had lost her shoes in the mud and slush and the cart wheels had torn them to pieces.
"Perhaps if I light a match I might warm my fingers", she thought. She struck a match and as she warmed her hands it seemed as though she was sitting before a bright fire. As the match went out, the fire faded and she shivered again.
Dare she strike another match?
As the light flickered, the wall beside her disappeared and she could see into a bright room where a table was laid with wonderful food.
To her astonishment, a roast goose with a knife and fork ready for carving came towards her but, as she stretched out her hands, the march went out.
" I must strike another match", whispered the little girl and this time she found that she was sitting by a huge Christmas tree.
Candles and presents covered the tree and the little match girl held out her hands to take the lovely doll which seemed to smile at her: but as her match flickered out, the Christmas candles turned into stars and one of them shot across the sky towards her.
"That is my grandmother in heaven", declared the little girl and quickly she struck all the matches that were left.
"Come to me, grandmother!" she cried and gentle arms lifted her from the snowy street into a warm peace.
When the frozen little match girl was found on New Year's Day, people said, "How sad, she tried to warm herself by lighting her matches." No one knew of the lovely visions she had seen before she joined her grandmother in Paradise.
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