the little match girl resume

Easy Insightful Literature Notes

The Little Match Girl Summary & Analysis

• On the New Year’s Eve when everyone was busy celebrating with candles, Christmas trees and delicious dishes, in the bitter cold outside, a poor little girl, unable to earn a single penny that day selling her match sticks, sat down on the ground.
• She was shivering in the cold. So she lighted a match stick to keep herself warm. But to her surprise she saw different visions (a great iron stove, a roasted goose, a Christmas tree, her lost grandmother) in the light every time she lighted a stick.
• In the morning people found the girl frozen to death, still holding the matches in her hand.

The Story line / Plot Summary

The story “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Anderson is set against the backdrop of a New Year’s Eve. It was a very cold winter evening with snow and frost. When everyone was busy in celebrating the festive day with candles, Christmas trees and delicious dishes, a poor little girl was wandering on the streets trying to sell her matches. She was barefoot and bareheaded. Though she had the shoes of her mother, she lost them on the way. Her scanty clothes were not enough to make her warm.

The girl was sure to be beaten by her father as she could not earn a single penny the whole day. So she decided not to go home and sat down on the ground on a corner created by two houses. While sitting there she lit a match to warm herself. To her surprise, she saw a great iron stove with bright brass knob in the bright flame of the match. The stove vanished when the flame went out.

The girl lit three more matches one after another and saw the visions of a roasted goose on the table, a beautiful Christmas tree and her grandmother who loved her most. By then the girl realized that she would lose the vision of her grandmother when the match would go out. But she wanted her to stay there so much that she quickly lit all the rest of the matches to make sure the light stayed on. In the bright light of the matches her granny looked more beautiful than ever before. She took her in her arms and flew high up the sky to the God.

At the dawn of the new year, people discovered that the girl had frozen to death, still holding the matches in her hand. They were talking about how the girl had tried to warm herself. But they did not know what beautiful visions she had seen and into what “heavenly joy and gladness of a new year” she had entered with her “dear old grandmother”.

The Little Match Girl: A Commentary

The short story “The Little Match Girl” is all about the poverty, hunger and helplessness of a little girl who is sent to sell matches when she is supposed to stay at home or at school. When all the world seems to be celebrating the New Year’s Eve, the girl is deprived of the joy. But the readers are caught in the riddle whether it is sheer poverty of the family, or the cruelty of a father to his daughter; may be both.

Whatever the case may be, the author has shown us how sometimes death can be better than life on earth. The poor girl got nothing here in this life. All the visions she had in the light of the matches only reflected her unfulfilled wishes and dreams . She also wished to enjoy some delicious food, to sit under a beautiful Christmas tree, and to have the company of her dear old grandmother. But it was not to be in her earthly life. She could only get those after death, in the Heaven. That is why the writer says —

But no one knew what beautiful visions she had seen and in what a blaze of glory she had entered with her dear old grandmother into the heavenly joy and gladness of a new year.

So the New Year’s Eve is a symbol for the beginning of a new life (after death) of the girl in heaven. The last evening of the old year was the last evening of the girl’s miserable life. The new year brings glorious changes to the girl’s life which others have no eyes to see.

With this irony the author takes a dig at the so-called civilized society where we don’t have the eyes to see through the plight of thousands of such hungry faces in our cities and towns even today. So, in its appeal, this story transcends all ages and cultures. Even the girl is unnamed; the place and year of the story is untold. These might be deliberate attempt from the writer to keep the story universal in its appeal .

About the title of the story “The Little Match Girl”, it is very straightforward and represents the protagonist of the story, the poor little girl. As, the story deals with the miserable life of the girl, her dreams and wishes and how she got rid of the cruelty of this world to reach the heaven, the title is thematically appropriate.

In its plot and setting the story has a simple approach. The author narrates the story in third person narrative  where dialogues are rather scanty. This has been a one-way narration with no flashbacks and no twists. But the story is rich in its use of irony, imagery and symbols, emphasizing the need for compassion for those who are less privileged than us.

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"The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen

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"The Little Match Girl" is a story by Hans Christian Andersen . The story is famous not only because of its poignant tragedy but also because of its beauty. Our imagination (and literature) can give us comfort, solace, and reprieve from so many of life's hardships. But literature can also act as a reminder of personal responsibility. In that sense, this short story recalls Charles Dickens '  Hard Times , which instigated change in the age of Industrialization (Victorian England). This story could also be compared to A Little Princess , the 1904 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett . Does this story make you re-evaluate your life, those things you cherish most?

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and darkness, a poor little girl with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, for they had belonged to her Mother and the poor little girl had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling at a terrible rate.

One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized the other and ran away with it saying he could use it as a cradle when he had children of his own. So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny. Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along, looking like the picture of misery. The snowflakes fell on her fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not.

Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of roast goose, for it was New-year's eve, yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under her, but could not keep off the cold. And she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches.

Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the roof to cover them. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew one out- "scratch!" how it sputtered as it burnt. It gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. It seemed as though she was sitting by a large iron stove. How the fire burned! And seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out!

The stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.

She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where its light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room. The table was covered with a snowy white table cloth on which stood a splendid dinner service and a steaming roast goose stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more wonderful, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife and fork in it, to the little girl. Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her.

She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated than the one she had seen through the rich merchant's glass door. Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon it all. The little one stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.

The Christmas lights rose higher and higher till they looked to her like the stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire. "Someone is dying," thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now in Heaven, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.

She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance.

"Grandmother," cried the little one, "O take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the large glorious Christmas-tree." And she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there. And the matches glowed with a light that was brighter than the noon-day. And her grandmother had never appeared so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.

In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall. She had been frozen on the last evening of the year; and the New-year's sun rose and shone upon a little child. The child still sat, holding the matches in her hand, one bundle of which was burnt.

"She tried to warm herself," said some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year's day.

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The Little Match Girl | Summary and Analysis

Critical appreciation of the little match.

The Little Match Girl is a widely read story by Andersen which delves n the themes of suffering, love, loss, death and the significance of compassion. It focuses on the plight of the poor children who suffer undeserved hardships just because they were born in the wrong socio-economic strata. Though many suffer the same fate today as well, the living conditions for the children of the poor was particularly miserable back in Andersen’s time . Also, his own troubled childhood gave him an intensely personal perspective insofar as unhappy children were concerned. In this regard, The Little Match Girl is a tale which gives voice to the voiceless and advocates for a more compassionate treatment towards the downtrodden. The theme of suffering , which ties in with Anderson’s personal life is also explored in the story The Steadfast Tin Soldier, the summary of which may be read here.

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The Little Match Girl | Summary

The story unfolds in a cold, dark New Year’s eve. In the heart of this cold and harsh setting, we find a poor little girl walking “bareheaded and barefoot” through the streets. We are told that she had been wearing slippers when she left home but that she lost them on the way – one, as she ran across the street in order to save herself from being hit by two carriages that were being driven too fast; the other, being stolen by a boy.  he slippers were too big for her and that it belonged to her mother (who is probably dead). The girl’s feet are “ red and blue with cold” and she is carrying a packet of matchsticks as nobody bought a single matchstick from her, leaving her utterly penniless :                          “She crept along shivering and hungry, the picture of misery, poor little thing.”

The hungry child couldn’t ‘t think of anything but the “glorious smell of roast goose in the street” , this being New Year’s Eve. It is a day of celebration and she is starving.

The girl huddles down in a corner formed by two houses. She dare not go home, for she hasn’t sold a single match-stick and her father is sure to beat her. We are also told that her home is anything more than a shack and isn’t any better than the place she’s presently huddled in.

She begins to light the match-stick to keep herself warm. She strikes the first match:                         ” It seemed to the little girl as if one was sitting in the front of a great iron stove with polished                                    brass knobs and brass ornaments. The fire burnt beautifully and gave out such a lovely warmth” On striking the second match the light falls on the walls and the bricks become “transparent like a gauze” . She sees right into the room where a table is laid and in the center of it stands ” a roast goose stuffed with prunes and apples, steaming deliciously” and the goose hops down from the dish with a carving knife and a fork on its back and waddles straight up to the poor child.

On striking the third match, she finds herself sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree, “much lovelier than the one she had seen last year through the glass door of a rich merchant’s house. The many candles on the Christmas tree rose higher and higher through the air, and she saw that they had now turned into bright stars. One of them fell streaking the sky with light.” This magical moment is abruptly marked by a strong irony when the girl remarks : “Now someone is dying.”

On striking the fourth match, the girl’s grandmother appears in front of her. She is delighted to have her gentle granny and begs her to take her along with her. She then gets anxious that her granny is going to disappear like all other sights :

 ” Then she quickly struck all the rest of the matches she had in the packet, for she did so want to keep her grandmother with her”.

The dawn of the New Year finds her dead and all that the wiseacres have to say at the sight of her dead body is this : “ She was evidently trying to warm herself”.

The Little Match Girl | Analysis

The Little Match Girl is a widely read story by Andersen which focuses on the plight of the poor children who suffer undeserved hardships just because they were born in the wrong socio-economic strata. Though many suffer the same fate today as well, the living conditions for the children of the poor was particularly miserable back in Andersen’s time . Also, his own troubled childhood gave him an intensely personal perspective insofar as unhappy children were concerned. In this regard, The Little Match Girl is a tale which gives voice to the voiceless and advocates for a more compassionate treatment towards the downtrodden.

The Little Match Girl is a story which draws an emphatic portrayal of the hardships faced by an innocent girl against the harsh and cruel world. Having said that, it is important to underline at the very outset what the story is not. It is not a helpless plea for pity. It does not beg for kindness. It appeals to it. There is a difference between the two and this must be maintained if we are to get a sound understanding of the story. In fact, by the end of the story it is clear that what the little match girl has understood, imagined and experienced is far beyond the comprehension of the wealthy folks who accept and denote her death as a matter of fact event.

The story opens on a somber note with the setting of the weather/nature complementing the mood the story. This is known as pathetic fallacy in literature. We see the use of this literary device right at the beginning of the story. Pay attention to the words in bold :

“It was bitterly cold , snow was falling and the darkness was gathering, for it was the last evening of the old year. It was New Year’s Eve.”

In other words the year is drawing to its end. It is dying . This must be kept in mind while analyzing the death of the little match girl. The death of the day also heralds the death of the year. This description of the setting in the first line of the story foreshadows the death of the little girl. A brilliant visual imagery is used to describe the the suffering of the poor girl whose feet are “red and blue with cold ” and who creeps along, shivering with cold and hunger and has become a “picture of misery” . Anderson wrote a lot on child abuse which had become a social problem by and the issue is also dealt with in other stories written by him. The girl is scared to go home as she’s failed to sell the matches and she knows that she will be surely beaten by her father. The certainty about her fear is of great importance as it reveals that getting beaten by her father is a recurrent part of her childhood. We are also given to understand the poverty under which she lives when we’re told that it was a mere shack through which the wind whistled incessantly and was barely a safe shelter. The girl decides to huddle in a corner formed by two houses. She the takes out a match and strikes it – ‘R-r-ratch!’- an effective use of onomatopoeia .

What follows next is Andersen’s pure genius where he pits imagination versus reality . The things imagined by the girl in order to escape her harsh reality is very moving one. One can also understand the link between imagination, reality and memory, partly by analyzing the hallucinations and sights she sees while lighting up the matches. She imagines a great iron stove with silver brass knobs burning before her. The r eality of the terrible cold makes her imagine a source of warmth : the burning stove.

Similarly, on lighting the second matchstick, she sees the sight of a roasted goose, a source of food which might satiate her hunger . What we see is that her imagination helps her conjure sights which may at least theoretically satisfy her immediate needs in order to combat the harsh reality she’s in. On striking the third match, she finds herself sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree, “much lovelier than the one she had seen last year through the glass door of a rich merchant’s house”. This vision by the little girl shows the l ink between imagination, memory and desire . It tells us how she had seen a lovely Christmas tree last year and the memory reproduces the desire in the form of a much lovelier Christmas Tree

” The many candles on the Christmas tree rose higher and higher through the air, and she saw that they had now turned into bright stars. One of them fell streaking the sky with light.”

This magical moment is abruptly marked by a strong irony when the girl remarks : “Now someone is dying.” The fourth matchstick produces a vision of what she held as most valuable in her life : her grandmother . The beautiful and living grandmother takes the girl in her arms and the two fly towards heaven in brightness and joy to a better world devoid of any suffering and pain.     Notice that she burns all the matches to keep her grandmother . She hasn’t done this earlier in order to keep any of the previous sights – neither for warmth (though she’s cold) nor for food (though she’s dying from hunger). She burns up all her matchsticks because what she craves for the most is love, care and compassion as is embodied by her dear Granny. The matchsticks represent a symbol of hope and her desperate will to live. The little girl stays alive as long as the little fire of hope is burning and she dies when all her matches are extinguished.

The girl is frozen to death by the time the rays of the New Year’s dawn reaches the little body of the unfortunate child. This is what the people have to say about her lifeless body : She was evidently trying to warm herself.

This is a scathing comment by Andersen on the cold, rationalizing, matter-of-fact attitude of the people who look without seeing, for they see what what lies in front of them but they are blind to what lies within. The idle spectators are not only rude. Their cold, rationalizing attempt in trying to explain away the death of the little girl is also completely fallacious. The girl in fact didn’t burn up her candles “trying to warm herself”. She did so in order to keep her granny with her even if only for a little longer. The last sentence of the story unmasks the petty mindset of such people and proclaims that the little match girl- with all of her sadness, joy, yearning and misery has felt and experienced far greater and deeper than what people can ever fathom :

“But no one knew what beautiful visions she had seen and in what a blaze of glory she had entered with her dear old grandmother into the heavenly joy and gladness of a new year.”

By the end of the story, we see that the girl’s emotion, imagination and experience is much greater than the harsh reality her body has been subjected to. The empathic portrayal of the girl’s plight, the physical and emotional abuse she has to go through, her unfortunate and possibly avoidable death and the utter apathy with which her death is is received by the people that transforms this fairy tale by Andersen in an effective social commentary. One might as well say that the girl died from the cold in both physical and emotional sense. She died due to the cold weather as well as she the cold hearts that refused to identify her humanity.

The Little Match Girl : About the Author

The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Thumbelina The Princess and the Pea, Little Ida’s Flower, The Steadfast Tin Soldier … It is difficult to believe that all these iconic fairy tales originated from the pen of a single author. And yet it did. Hans Christian Andersen, the G.O.A.T of literary fairy tales was born on 2nd April 1805 in Odense, near Copenhagen, Denmark.           Hans was educated in boarding schools for the privileged despite being born to working class parents. His exposure to economic hardships at an early age was influential in making him champion the cause of the oppressed and the marginalized children in most of his writings. Andersen went to Copenhagen to work as an actor in the Royal Danish Theatre at the ripe old age of 14. He was encouraged to focus on writing instead by the director of the theatre who helped him secure a grant from King Fredrick VI which allowed him to further his education and travel around Europe, writing stories. His first success as a writer came with the publication of the short story A Journey on Foot from Holmens’ Canal to the East Point of Anager (Say that in one breath). Though he tried his hand in theatre, he was chiefly known as a novelist and a writer of travelogues in the Danish literary circles. Books like O.T and Only a Fiddle cemented his reputation as a novelist. His first collection Fairy Tales for Children was published in 1835 which featured stories like Thumbelina , Little Mermaid And The Emperor’s New Clothes among others. This was followed by a collection titled Fairy Tales Told for Children which featured stories like The Ugly Duckling and The Steadfast Tin Soldier . It was the translation of such stories to English and other languages which made him popular across Europe. His faithful representation of reality combined with elements of fantasy have endeared him to both young and mature audience alike. This commitment to representing reality in an impressive manner is seen in stories like The Little Match Girl . Anderson died on 4th May 1875, aged 70. Today, his works have been translated to more than 125 languages around the world.

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The Little Match Girl

By hans christian andersen, the little match girl study guide.

Published in 1845, Hans Christian Andersen 's " The Little Match Girl " is a fairy tale about an impoverished girl who, afraid to return to her violent family after not having sold any matches, strikes matches which induce hallucinations of her desires for warmth, food, prosperity, and love as she succumbs to hypothermia. From the girl's point of view, she ascends to heaven to be with her dead grandmother, while passersby see her dead body and assume she lit so many matches in an attempt to stay warm.

One of Andersen's better-known fairy tales, " The Little Match Girl " has been adapted many times for the screen, including an Oscar-nominated Disney short film released in 2006.

The Little Match Girl Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Little Match Girl is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is the contrast described in this passage?

There is a contrast between the darkness, cold. and hunger the little girl lives in juxtaposed with the warm opulence of the places she looks at through the windows.

Which character do you like the most, and why?

This question calls for your opinion. There is no right or wrong answer. I, personally, love the little girl's grandmother.... the unconditional, love that never dies.

If you were the little match, what would you do? Answers in 150-200 words

Sorry, we can't write an essay for you on this short answer space.

Study Guide for The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl study guide contains a biography of Hans Christian Andersen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Little Match Girl
• The Little Match Girl Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for The Little Match Girl

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Little Match Girl
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Little Match Girl Bibliography

• The Little Match Girl Summary

Summary of The Little Match Girl

In this article, you will be reading The Little Match Girl Summary. It is a story of a little girl who, unable to sell her match sticks dies of cold and hunger on the street even as, people are celebrating the birth of the Christ child inside their warm. This story reflects about the unhappy childhood of a little girl, her sadness, dealing with loss and death.

The Little Match Girl Summary in English

This story, the Little Match Girl Summary is a story of a little girl. It was New Year’s evening, snow was falling and darkness was gathering. The evening was bitterly cold. In this darkness a poor little girl walked, bareheaded and barefoot, through the streets. She had been wearing slippers of her mother when she left home. The little girl had been trying to cross the street and suddenly she saw two carriages coming very fast. So naturally, she trying to cross quickly and in the process, her slippers came off they were too big for her. One slipper was lost and the other one was taken away by the unknown boy. The boy bullied the girl as she was a soft target for him.

So the little girl walked about the streets on her naked feet and her foot became red and blue with the cold. In her bag, she carried many matches and she had a packet of them in her hand as well. Today she was unable to sell any matches and no one had given her a single penny. She crept along, shivering and hungry. The narrator called it’s a picture of misery.

Read On the Face of it Summary here

The snowflakes fell on her long golden hair but the girl did not think of her appearance now. Lights were shining in every window of every house and there was a beautiful smell of roast goose in the street as it was an evening of the new year. But the little could not think of anything else.

She went to a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected further out into the street than other. She tucked her legs up under her but she felt colder and colder. As she had not sold any matches and earned not a single penny she did not dare to go home. She thought her father would beat her and besides, it was so cold at home. Their home had an only roof above them and the wind whistled through that. Her hands were almost numb with cold. She pulled just one small match from the packet to warm her fingers.

It had a warm and bright flame like a small candle but it seemed to the little girl if she were sitting in front of a great iron stove. The fire gave out such lovely warmth as the child already stretched her feet to warm them too. The flame vanished and she sat with the burnt match in her hand.

Then she lights the second match and imagines a table filled with delicious food and wishes she could have some. She lights up the third match and then imagines a beautiful Christmas tree and then spots a star falling in the sky.  While she lights up the fourth match and sees her grandmother. She cries out that she wants to be with her grandmother. She wants to be with her grandmother so desperately that she lights up all the matches to keep her grandmother with her. Her grandmother takes her in her arms and they fly away from the earth towards heaven.

In the next morning people passing by the lane and see the poor girl lying dead in the corner and think that she must have frozen to death in the cold. The people see the brunt matches and conclude that she had been trying to warm herself. The narrator says these people have no idea of the beautiful visions she has seen and now she is far away from the cruel world.

Conclusion of The Little Match Girl

The story teaches us how selfish and insensitive human beings can be. The people are so selfish in the real world.  They are not truly doing what Jesus has been wanted to do.

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3 responses to “My Greatest Olympic Prize Summary”

The wonderful summary thank you for this.

They did not belong to the family of gorden cook and you also didn’t write the spelling correct it’s James cook 😶😑

What’s funny is that Miss Fairchild said the line- “Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid-” when she herself misunderstood the situation.

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“The Little Match Girl”, analysis of the story by Hans Christian Andersen

History of creation

The story “The Little Match Girl” was written in 1844 when Andersen was staying at Augustenborg Castle on the island of Als. It was a story composed as an accompaniment to an engraving by Johann Lundby. The sacred story was published in 1845.

Literary direction and genre

The genre of the holy story implies a miraculous transformation of the hero, his achievement on Christmas day, when miracles and happiness occur. But The Girl with Matches is one of the saddest works of the writer. The heroine is dying, there is no hope for the transformation of her life, but this is from the point of view of the layman. And the narrator is a Christian, a romantic, for him the end of the tale is happy.

For romance, the ideal is unattainable. All the visions that pass before the eyes of a freezing girl are a beautiful world, which she dreamed of all her life, but she could only achieve after death.

Subject, main idea and problems

The theme of the story is the last evening of a poor girl whose life has no value in society. The main idea – happiness is not in wealth and not even in life. Happiness is the ability to see the invisible, to touch the eternal. The story raises serious social problems, describes the life of a city on the streets of which people from different worlds live. A girl loses her shoes when she is frightened of two carriages racing at full speed. In the world where carriage riders live, they don’t notice the little saleswomen of matches.

The plot and composition

A two-page story reveals all the circumstances of a girl’s life. The reader learns about some facts of her biography from the details. For example, a little girl wore shoes that her mother used to wear. Obviously, now mother has already died.

The world of poverty, in which the little matchmaker lives, is separated from the world of wealth hostile to the girl. She loses her shoes, her only inheritance, frightened by the carriages rushing at full speed. But the world of the poor is hostile. He is closer, the girl comes into contact with him and from this he sees his absurdity. The laws of nature reign in the world of human relations, where the fittest survives. The boy selects a wooden shoe to make a cradle out of it for future children. The absurdity of this act and the idea of ​​the boy is obvious. Accustomed to poverty, the child is trying to resist the circumstances, storing things for all occasions.

The girl sold matches all day and did not sell a single one. She cannot return home because her father will beat her. In addition, the house is also cold, the cracks are covered with straw and rags. The girl is doomed to physical death, she ate nothing all day. But most of all she suffers from her own uselessness and loneliness.

In the near-death visions of the girl, all her needs are realized, first physical (warmth and satiety), then spiritual (cozy security and love). In the first vision, the match turns into an amazing candle, and the girl basks by the stove. In the second, the girl is at a rich table, and the roasted goose himself goes to feed her. The third vision takes the girl to a luxurious Christmas tree.

The girl resigns herself to the fact that visions disappear when the match goes out. But she is not ready to again lose the recently deceased grandmother that appeared in the vision. Love overpowers the fear of punishment, and the girl lights all the matches at the same time.

In the story, the two hypostases of the ambivalent, dual world freely flow into each other, for example, the lights of a wonderful Christmas tree turn into stars, and the light of the match into a blazing stove. Not only space is shifting, but also time. After all, a shooting star means the death of the girl herself, who is witnessing the fall of the star in earthly life.

At the end of the story, the two worlds regain their borders. The girl’s body remains on earth, the soul belongs to heaven.

The image of the heroine

The heroine of the story is “a little impoverished girl with her head uncovered and barefoot.” The girl experiences two constant feelings of the poor – cold and hunger. Her bare legs turned blue and reddened from the cold, her apron is old, snowflakes are falling on her beautiful blond hair.

The girl has no name. On the one hand, this is the principle of typification, because the world is full of such poor dying children. On the other hand, nobody needs the life of a girl on earth, as if it does not exist. Only the recently deceased grandmother loved the girl, and in addition to her, God. So the absence of a name is not so much a typification inherent in realism as a romantic separation of the heroine from the townspeople who did not understand her. People thought that she died in misery, but in fact the girl was illuminated with light and joy, she and her grandmother saw miracles and beauty, met New Year’s Happiness .

Artistic originality

The story “The Little Match Girl” is based on contrasts. In it, wealth and poverty, the fragility and tenderness of a girl and the rudeness of the wall, at which she dies, coexist. Earthly suffering is contrasted with heavenly happiness, which managed to be reflected and imprinted in the blush and smile of a dead girl.

A girl with matches has become a symbol of a person who unjustly suffers in circumstances alien to her, although she belongs to another world, to which she unsuccessfully aspires. The gray wall of the house where the girl dies is a symbol of an insurmountable barrier separating these worlds and disappearing only by a miracle.

Symbolically, the time of action in the story. A time of miracles for a Westerner is Christmas. It has already passed without any relief. New Year becomes for the child the beginning of a new heavenly life, he plays the role of Easter – death and resurrection.

In “The Little Match Girl” the role of the storyteller is huge. He is omnipresent, as God, observes the visions, thoughts and feelings of the heroine, gives an assessment to them, her appearance and actions. Without a narrator, the story would have turned into a story about how on the New Year’s Eve a small impoverished saleswoman of matches froze. This point of view is presented in a remark of people: “She wanted to warm herself.” But this, of course, is not the point. Only the narrator can discover the true motives and dreams of the heroine, her past and even her eternal heavenly life.

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The Little Match Girl

By hans christian andersen.

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 had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had 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 had 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 her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.

She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!

The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her 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. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her 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 held her 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 at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her 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 to behold 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 decorated than the one which she had 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 had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her 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 her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, 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 her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had 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 her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself," people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

More works by Hans Christian Andersen, including famous fairy-tales like The Emperor's New Clothes , The Princess and the Pea , and The Ugly Duckling can be found at The Hans Christian Andersen Homepage . Readers that enjoyed this story might wish to read The Last Dream of Old Oak and The Tinder-Box . For a sample of Andersen's lighter and more humorous side, I suggest The Shirt-Collar .

The Little Match Girl is a featured selection in our collection of Christmas Stories and Short-Short Stories .

Return to the Hans Christian Andersen library , or . . . Read the next short story; The Little Mermaid

The Little Match…

Original translation, about this fairy tale, continue to read on your smartphone.

The Little Match Girl

fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. Evening came on, the last evening of the year. In the cold and gloom a poor little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. Of course when she had left her house she’d had slippers on, but what good had they been? They were very big slippers, way too big for her, for they belonged to her mother. The little girl had lost them running across the road, where two carriages had rattled by terribly fast. One slipper she’d not been able to find again, and a boy had run off with the other, saying he could use it very well as a cradle some day when he had children of his own. And so the little girl walked on her naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried several packages of matches, and she held a box of them in her hand. No one had bought any from her all day long, and no one had given her a cent.

Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along, a picture of misery, poor little girl! The snowflakes fell on her long fair hair, which hung in pretty curls over her neck. In all the windows lights were shining, and there was a wonderful smell of roast goose, for it was New Year’s eve. Yes, she thought of that!

In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected farther out into the street than the other, she sat down and drew up her little feet under her. She was getting colder and colder, but did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, nor earned a single cent, and her father would surely beat her. Besides, it was cold at home, for they had nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled even though the biggest cracks had been stuffed with straw and rags.

Her hands were almost dead with cold. Oh, how much one little match might warm her! If she could only take one from the box and rub it against the wall and warm her hands. She drew one out. R-r-ratch! How it sputtered and burned! It made a warm, bright flame, like a little candle, as she held her hands over it; but it gave a strange light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she were sitting before a great iron stove with shining brass knobs and a brass cover. How wonderfully the fire burned! How comfortable it was! The youngster stretched out her feet to warm them too; then the little flame went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the burnt match in her hand.

She struck another match against the wall. It burned brightly, and when the light fell upon the wall it became transparent like a thin veil, and she could see through it into a room. On the table a snow-white cloth was spread, and on it stood a shining dinner service. The roast goose steamed gloriously, stuffed with apples and prunes. And what was still better, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled along the floor with a knife and fork in its breast, right over to the little girl. Then the match went out, and she could see only the thick, cold wall. She lighted another match. Then she was sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree. It was much larger and much more beautiful than the one she had seen last Christmas through the glass door at the rich merchant’s home. Thousands of candles burned on the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the printshops looked down at her. The little girl reached both her hands toward them. Then the match went out. But the Christmas lights mounted higher. She saw them now as bright stars in the sky. One of them fell down, forming a long line of fire.

“Now someone is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star fell down a soul went up to God.

She rubbed another match against the wall. It became bright again, and in the glow the old grandmother stood clear and shining, kind and lovely.

“Grandmother!” cried the child. “Oh, take me with you! I know you will disappear when the match is burned out. You will vanish like the warm stove, the wonderful roast goose and the beautiful big Christmas tree!”

And she quickly struck the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother with her. And the matches burned with such a glow that it became brighter than daylight. Grandmother had never been so grand and beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and both of them flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and up there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor fear-they were with God.

But in the corner, leaning against the wall, sat the little girl with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. The New Year’s sun rose upon a little pathetic figure. The child sat there, stiff and cold, holding the matches, of which one bundle was almost burned.

“She wanted to warm herself,” the people said. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, and how happily she had gone with her old grandmother into the bright New Year.

The fairytale The Little Match Girl was frist published in December 1845/ No information about the book it was first in

The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen/The Little Match Girl

The Little Match-Girl

Amid the cold and the darkness, a little girl, with bare head and naked feet, was roaming through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but that was not of much use, for they were very large slippers; so large, indeed, that they had hitherto been used by her mother; besides, the little creature lost them as she hurried across the street, to avoid two carriages, that were driving at a fearful rate. One of the slippers was not to be found, and the other was pounced upon by a boy, who ran away with it, saying that it would serve for a cradle when he should have children of his own.

So the little girl went along, with her little bare feet, that were red and blue with cold. She carried a number of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day, and nobody had even given her a penny.

She crept along, shivering with cold and hunger, a perfect picture of misery—poor little thing!

The snow-flakes covered her long flaxen hair, which hung in pretty curls round her throat; but she heeded them not.

Lights were streaming from all the windows, and there was a savoury smell of roast goose; for it was St. Sylvester's evening. And this she did heed.

She now sat down, cowering in a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the other. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she felt colder than ever; yet she dared not return home, for she had not sold a match, and could not bring back a penny.

Her father would certainly beat her; and it was cold enough at home, besides—for they had only the roof above them, and the wind came howling through it, though the largest holes had been stopped with straw and rags. Her little hands were nearly frozen with cold.

Alas! a single match might do her some good, if she might only draw one out of the bundle, and rub it against the wall, and warm her fingers.

So at last she drew one out. Whisht! how it shed sparks, and how it burned! It gave out a warm, bright flame, like a little candle, as she held her hands over it,—truly, it was a wonderful little light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she were sitting before a large iron stove, with polished brass feet, and brass shovel and tongs. The fire burned so blessedly, and warmed so nicely, that the little creature stretched out her feet to warm them likewise, when lo! the flame expired, the stove vanished, and left nothing but the little half-burned match in her hand.

She rubbed another match against the wall. It gave a light, and where it shone upon the wall, the latter became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room.

A snow-white tablecloth was spread upon the table, on which stood a splendid china dinner service, a roast goose, stuffed with apples and prunes, sent ​ forth the most savoury odour. And what was more delightful still, the goose jumped down from the dish, and waddled along the ground with a knife and fork in its breast, up to the poor girl.

AND WHAT WAS MORE DELIGHTFUL STILL, THE GOOSE JUMPED DOWN FROM THE DISH, AND WADDLED ALONG THE GROUND, WITH A KNIFE AND FORK IN ITS BREAST, UP TO THE POOR GIRL.

The match then went out, and nothing remained but the thick, damp wall. She lit another match.

​ She now sat under the most magnificent Christmas tree, that was larger, and more superbly decked, than even the one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant's. A thousand tapers burned on its green branches, and gay pictures, such as one sees on targets, seemed to be looking down upon her. The match then went out.

The Christmas lights kept rising higher and higher. They now looked like stars in the sky.

One of them fell down, and left a long streak of fire. "Somebody is now dying," thought the little girl—for her old grandmother, the only person who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her, that when a star falls, it is a sign that a soul is going up to heaven.

She again rubbed a match upon the wall, and it was again light all round; and in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining like a spirit, yet looking so mild and loving.

"Grandmother," cried the little one, "oh! take me with you! I know you will go away when the match goes out—you will vanish like the warm stove, and the delicious roast goose, and the fine, large Christmas-tree?"

And she made haste to rub the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to hold her grandmother fast.

And the matches gave a light that was brighter than noonday. Her grandmother had never appeared so beautiful nor so large. She took the little girl in her arms, and both flew upwards, all radiant and joyful, far—far above mortal ken—where there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor care to be found; for it was to the land of the blessed that they had flown.

But, in the cold dawn, the poor girl might be seen leaning against the wall, with red cheeks and smiling mouth: she had been frozen on the last night of the old year.

The new year's sun shone upon the little corpse.

The child sat in the stiffness of death, still holding the matches, one bundle of which was burned.

People said: "She tried to warm herself"

Nobody dreamed of the fine things she had seen, nor in what splendour she had entered upon the joys of the new year, together with her grandmother.

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The Story of the Little Match Girl

• Apple Podcasts

Spotlight tells the story of the Little Match Girl. This Hans Christian Andersen story is very famous. Many people tell it at Christmastime. But what is the meaning of this story? Is it happy or sad?

Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Colin Lowther. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

A small girl walks through the streets. She is cold and hungry. Where can she find help on a cold winter’s day?

“Matches! Light your fires with my matches! Would you like to buy some matches sir? What about you madam? They are the best kind! Strike them against any wall! They will burn! Someone must want some matches – anyone?”

The Little Match Girl is a popular story. Hans Christian Anderson wrote this story. He wrote many children’s stories in the 1800s. People like to tell the story of the Little Match Girl during the Christmas season. Both adults and children enjoy it. But is it a sad story or a happy story? Liz Waid tells the story of the Little Match Girl.

A cold wind blows across the town. People hurry along, holding their warm coats close to their bodies. It is a cold winter! They will be happy to get home to their warm fires and nice food. Street sellers count their money at the end of the day. But for the little match girl, there is no money to count. No one wants to buy her matches. So, she is afraid to go home. Her father will beat her for sure.

The little girl walks across the street. The snow falls on her long hair. She looks up at the tall, beautiful houses as she passes. She can hear people laughing inside. The smell of food cooking rises in the air. The people are preparing their last meal before the New Year. The little match girl walks to a quiet street corner. She sits down, holding her knees. She tries to pull her feet under her body. They are so cold. She has no shoes or coat. Her feet are blue from walking on the cold ground. Maybe she should go home? But even her home is not warm. Her family has no money.

The little girl puts her head in her hands. A tear wets the side of her face. If only she could be warm – for just a minute. Then, she has an idea – matches! She has her matches!

Her father would be angry if she wasted any matches. But she only wants one, just one. Maybe it will warm her freezing fingers. The little girl gets a match. She strikes it against the wall – fire! The warm orange light shines in the darkness. The little girl looks hard at the small dancing fire. She imagines that she is sitting by a warm cooking oven. It seems so real! She can see the oven. She can feel its heat. She stretches her legs and warms her feet. How the fire burns! Then, the fire from the match goes out. The oven disappears. The little girl is once again in the cold darkness. Only the half-burnt match remains in her hand.

The little girl is so sad. Her happiness had come and gone so quickly. Maybe she could burn one more match? She takes another. And she strikes it against the wall. Fire lights up her sad face. She smiles. This time, she sees the wall become thin. It is almost like paper. She can see through it! Behind it, she sees a room. Such beauty! There is a huge table with hot food on it! She can almost taste the hot food. She reaches out for a little to feed her hungry stomach. But suddenly the fire from the match goes out. Once more, everything disappears. Only the grey wall remains before her.

So, the little girl strikes another match. The golden fire burns again. This time, she is under a huge Christmas tree! Beautiful bells and flowers hang from the tree. Lights shine from its green branches. It is the most beautiful tree she has ever seen! She reaches her hands toward the lights. Then, the match goes out. But the Christmas lights begin to change into stars in the sky. One of the stars falls back to earth.

The little girl thinks to herself,

“Someone must be dying”.

The little girl starts to think of her dead grandmother. Her grandmother told her that when a star falls from the sky, a soul goes up to God. She misses her grandmother so much. The little girl lights another match.

This time, standing in the light, she sees her grandmother! Her grandmother was the only person who ever showed her love. She looks beautiful. The little girl cries:

‘Grandmother! Take me with you! I know when the fire goes out you will disappear! Please take me with you!’

The little girl takes all the matches. One by one she strikes them against the wall. She burns them quickly, so the picture does not disappear. The light shines brighter and brighter. It is as bright as day. She sees her grandmother more clearly. Her grandmother has never been so beautiful. The little girl reaches out to her grandmother. Her grandmother stretches out her arms to receive the little girl.

The grandmother takes the little girl in her arms. They fly together in joy high above the earth. There is no cold, hunger or fear. They are with God.

In the corner on the street, the little girl is leaning against the wall. She has red cheeks and a smiling mouth. But she is frozen. The New Year’s sun rises on the sad figure. The child sits there still and cold. She is holding a bundle of half-burned matches.

Only a few people walk on the quiet streets. They stop at the street corner. They see a small body on the ground. The people comment, “Poor thing. She was trying to keep warm,”

But no one knew the beautiful things she had seen. They did not know how happy she was to be with her grandmother. She had gone happily into the New Year.

The Little Match Girl is a popular story at Christmas time. It is an imaginary story. But people see many messages in it. Some people say the little match girl makes them think about people who have less than them. They think about people who may be poor or lonely at Christmas or the holidays. The story encourages them to help people in need.

Other people see a message behind the pictures in the story. Each vision made the little match girl feel happy. But the picture she wanted to stay with her was the one of her grandmother. This was the only one that offered a different kind of happiness – love.

Unconditional love is another message some people see in the story. The grandmother represents a love that does not die. This love carries the little girl to a place without pain or suffering. This makes some people think about God’s love and heaven – especially at Christmastime. And they think of his love that will carry them to a better place one day — heaven.

Have you heard this story before? Do you think this story was a sad story or a happy story? Tell us what you think. You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on YouTube , Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

The writer of this program was Marina Santee. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.spotlightenglish.com. This program is called ‘The Story of the Little Match Girl.’

Visit our website to download our free official App for Android and Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. From all of us at Spotlight, Merry Christmas!

Have you heard this story before? Do you think it was a happy ending or a sad ending? Why?

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45 comments

Yes I heard about her when I was at the childhood and I seen a film about this girl, I think the ending is sad

I had heard this story before. And now I cried when read again. That is sad story.

I also cried when I reread this story today

Thank you for this story. I heard it many time before but this is the first time i have got it under English version with the beautiful voice by Spotlight. Merry Christmas! Best regards.

Yes , I heard this story before it is sad story but I have learned many messages from spot light for helping and unconditional love. Merry Christmas

Thanks to Marina Santee for writing and to Liz Waid for reading the best Spotlight program ever. I did not know the story of the Little Match Girl, even though I had heard of the title. The story is both sad and happy but also moving and beautiful. The final reflections on the moral meaning of the fairy tale are very interesting and useful. Merry Christmas to all.

this is the first time I’ve heard the story ,I think it’s sad and happy in the same time In the beginning it was very beautiful but at the end I had a bad feeling

Hey It was a good story but it’s sad why her father keep it her outside to get money

It’s Christmas day. I apologize if I return to the subject of the little match girl to clarify what is written above. If we consider the story from the point of view of us readers, the story is sad, because we are abandoned by a beautiful soul and we feel more alone in the face of hatred and wickedness. But if we accept the child’s point of view, we see her joy in going to meet the grandmother who loves her and whom she loves most of all. In fact, in the morning she is found with a smiling face, she means that her journey does not scare her and she leaves happy. It is a beautiful image for everyone. In conclusion, the story is sad for us, it is happy for the little girl. The happy ending seems prevalent to me, after all at Christmas it could not be otherwise. P.S. To write I used the translator and I am ashamed as a thief, but I could not do otherwise, because without it with my English I would not be understandable.

This story has a happy ending in my opinion with the little girl, but it makes me sad whenever I read it.

Hi, It’s a beautiful story. A little sad actually. I had heard this at school when I was a child. But, I appreciated it a lot. Thanks.

I have not heard it before, but I liked the story for me it was sad because it reminds me of many people who need help and that sometimes we ignore, also I think I felt a little nostalgic because I remembered when I was a child.

That’s story so sad I liked this story so much and I heard this story when I was kids

Yes l know this story when l chilled, but every time when l listen this story l feel sad because how people don’t care about poor families, we can help him with simple things

This is the first time I have heard the story. It’s the sad story but contains many messages.

Yes, I heard it before when I was child, I remember I cried first time I watched story. And I didn’t like it because the end of the story was so sad. And I remember the end of story there was sad song

I happened to reflect once again on this fable, which I liked very much, and I saw the contrast between matter and spirit. Matter as darkness, suffering. The spirit as light, happiness. The little girl in the light of the match, beyond her grandmother, sees the beauty and superiority of the spirit. Our life is also matter and spirit and matter is not always pleasant. My grandmother used to say that darker than midnight is not possible, but if you light a match at midnight, you see the light, a spot of light.

I heard this story when i was a kid. I think it was a happy ending because the little girl will not pain, hungry and sadness.

I think is a sad story

Hello, spotlight thank you so much on this a partty story, and thank you for all your quality stories.In fact this story is so sad for me, I heard this story when I was young boy, alwas I was crying when I was hearing this story when I was young boy. This story so influence me but, for us it is sad story but, for little much girl it is happy story for her. And this story gives us many massage one of the these massage is: don’t let a needy person without helping hem. You must help them. Thank you a lot.

I like which story hans

Yeah,I heard this story more,I thing this story sad and also happy.the ended of the story it’s happy for me because she want go with his grandma.I like this story very much, I heard this story when i was kid

Yes I herd this story and I think sad story

At first i was sad , then I rejoiced when she met her grandmother , then i was sad again hahahahah .

Such a beautiful story it’s my first time to hear it. In my opinion, the story is a sad one because the matches girl have died in the end, and went to her grandmother in heaven.

I am the first time to hear these story , and I think this story is a sad story and I was very impressed by her

I think that it is a sad story

It is so sad story .it makes me feel sorry for little girl

My comment so late:) , but I think the story so sad that’s the answer for how to live with poor people,Omar bin alkhattab say: “If was the poverty a person I’ll kill its” , I think that’s right

I feel sad for little matche girl she suffered a lot in cold weather I’m winter with out food and warm and her family also poor they are waiting her

My grandmother told me this story before I could read. It wasn’t presented as a Christmas story, just another story my grandmother brought with her from Europe in the 1800s. Although I always cried easily, The Little Match Girl never made me cry; it wasn’t sad. She was my friend. She was me. She still is.

I was abused as a child and as an adult, and “sad” things have happened. But she was always with me … The Little Match Girl. In a life lived in Southern California, successfully teaching Line-Of-Action Writing for scriptwriters, along with Drama for CalState, I was more drawn to folklore. The origins of the greatest “kids’ stories” were whitewashed out of their moral-teaching origins by the Brothers Grimm and more recently bastardized completely by Disney.

The Little Match Girl, now that I’m late in life and in a situation I never anticipated, I realize that the girl had the only thing anyone really needs: Hope. There was something (in this case in the form of her grandmother) for her to see/feel even in the worst situations. I don’t see death as “the worst” but that’s just a POV. The Little Match Girl, didn’t lose her hope, so she died believing “Grandma” had come for her. Humans are cruel and I watched my own mother die in her sleep but there was nothing peaceful about it. The Little Match Girl died in her grandmother’s grace. What more could one ask for?

I think it’s beautiful. It always was.

Yes, i heard it before And it is sad story.

Yes I heard this story when I was young. Yes it’s a sad story. The story make me cry because no one help the little girl and the people see .

I have heard his story serval times but every time I hear it, I always feel sad because there are a lot of poor people outside. They don’t have enough food to eat or a place to stay during the cold weather 🙁

The little match girl went to heaven, like so many poor children every day, after suffering hunger and cold and seeing their home destroyed, while we become nastier. When hatred and revenge dry up every form of life, the last hope of light is paradise. The story of the little match girl is sad, because we are sad.

This is story make me sad I thought the story was true

I havent heard this story befor, but l think this story it is a sad story

It was a beautiful story with an expressive message, I appreciated it alot Kind regards.

This is my first time to listen this story, it is a sad story But it really teaches us there are many people need our help, but we don’t know so I think we must look for these people in need and assist them with whatever we have

I heared this story when i was young and i used to think that this story is very sad but today I felt happy when i read that she was happy when she died

Yes, l heard it many times before but in arabic language .l think this is a sad story because the girl died and she is hangry and cold and no one helped her.

This storie is sad for me , Because The Suffering and pain in The storie.

Yes I heard story

And I think the story a happy because the people will care an children

Yes, I heard this story before and I think it is a sad story because the girl felt cold and hungry, I think. There are many children like this, especially the children of Palestine, and we need to help them.

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The Little Match Girl

Hans christian andersen, everything you need for every book you read., the little match girl quotes in the little match girl.

In this cold and darkness walked a little girl. She was poor and both her head and feet were bare. Oh, she had had a pair of slippers when she left home; but they had been too big for her—in truth, they had belonged to her mother. The little one had lost them while hurrying across the street to get out of the way of two carriages that had been driving along awfully fast. One of the slippers she could not find, and the other had been snatched by a boy who, laughingly, shouted that he would use it as a cradle when he had a child of his own.

The snowflakes fell on her long yellow hair that curled so prettily at the neck, but to such things she never gave a thought. From every window of every house, light shone, and one could smell the geese roasting all the way out in the street. It was, after all, New Year’s Eve: and this she did think about.

She didn’t dare go home because she had sold no matches and was frightened that her father might beat her. Besides, her home was almost as cold as the street. She lived in an attic, right under a tile roof. The wind whistled through it, even though they had tried to close the worst of the holes and cracks with straw and old rags.

“Someone is dying,” whispered the little girl. Her grandmother, who was dead, was the only person who had ever loved or been kind to the child; and she had told her that a shooting star was the soul of a human being traveling to God.

She struck yet another match against the wall and in its blaze she saw her grandmother, so sweet, so blessedly kind.

“Grandmother!” shouted the little one. “Take me with you! I know you will disappear when the match goes out, just like the warm stove, the goose, and the beautiful Christmas tree.” Quickly, she lighted all the matches she had left in her hand, so that her grandmother could not leave. And the matches burned with such a clear, strong flame that the night became as light as day. Never had her grandmother looked so beautiful. She lifted the little girl in her arms and flew with her to where there is neither cold nor hunger nor fear: up to God.

In the cold morning the little girl was found. Her cheeks were red and she was smiling. She was dead. She had frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. The sun on New Year’s Day shone down on the little corpse; her lap was filled with burned-out matches. “She had been trying to warm herself,” people said. And no one knew the sweet visions she had seen, or in what glory she and her grandmother had passed into a truly new year.