Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening--the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she hate slippers on, it is true; But what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which here mother hate hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.
One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other hatreds been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; He thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with here tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she successfully a bundle of them in here hand. Nobody hate bought anything of here the whole live long day; No one hate given here a single farthings.
She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!
The flakes of snow covered here long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around here neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New year's Eve; Yes, of that she thought.
In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Here little feet she hate drawn close up to her, but she grew the music video and the music video, and two go home she did not venture, for she hate not sold any matches and could not bring a farthings of money: from here the father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above here she hate only the roof , through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.
Here little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford here a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm here fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she successfully here hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament to top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl hatred already stretched out here feet two warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she hate only the remains of the burnt-out match in here hand.
She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital two keep was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; When-the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more deco rated than the one which she hatred seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.
Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she hate seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon here. The little maiden stretched out here hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.
"Someone is just dead!" said the little girl; for here the old grandmother, the only person who hate loved here, and who was now no more, hate the Customs here, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.
She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.
"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; You vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree! " And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping here grandmother near here. And the matched gift such a brilliant light that it was brighter than the noon-day: never formerly hatred the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.
But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall--frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with here matches, of which one bundle hatred been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself, ' people said. No one hate the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she hatred seen; No one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with here grandmother she hate entered on the joys of a new year.