Children's Classic Illustrated Edition The Girl Who Sold Matchsticks

Author: Magic Bear Studio
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The content of The Little Match Girl is as follows:
It is the last day of the year—New Year's Eve, and it is snowing, with the weather being incredibly cold. A little girl selling matches is walking in the street, her clothes old and tattered, wearing a pair of her mother's large slippers on her feet. Her pockets are filled with many matchboxes, and she keeps calling out, "Selling matches, selling matches!" People are busy buying festive food and gifts, but who would pay any attention to her? At noon, she hasn't sold a single match and hasn't received a single copper coin. As she walks, she stops in front of a building, captivated by the scene inside.
Oh, how beautiful the Christmas tree is inside the house! The colorful wrapping paper on the children's hands looks so lovely. Seeing others' happiness, the little girl thinks of her sick mother and deceased grandmother, and she sadly cries. What's the use of crying? The little girl wipes away her tears and continues walking. "Selling matches, selling matches! Uncle, Aunt, buy some matches!" However, after buying their festive gifts, people hurry home, and no one hears her cries.
Snow falls on her golden long hair, making it look so beautiful, but no one notices her. As the little girl walks, a carriage rushes past, and she scurries away, losing her slippers. After the carriage passes, she quickly looks for her shoes. They are her mother's slippers, and her mother is still lying in bed. But one slipper is lost, and the other is kicked away by a boy as a soccer ball. The little girl has no choice but to walk barefoot, her small feet turning red and swollen from the cold snow.
As night falls, fewer and fewer people walk on the street, and eventually, only the little girl is left alone. The houses on the sides of the street are lit up, and laughter comes from the windows. The aroma of roasted geese fills the air from the food stores, and the little girl's stomach growls from hunger. She longs to go home, but with no matches sold, how can she afford medicine for her mother?
The snow grows heavier, and the street is covered like a thick white carpet. The little girl hasn't eaten or drunk anything all day and can no longer walk. She sits down in a corner of a wall. She rubs her red and swollen feet with her small hands, but soon her hands freeze as well. It's so cold. If she could light a small match, it could warm her up.
Finally, she strikes a match against the wall. Snap! A small flame appears. The little girl puts her hand above the flame. How beautiful and warm the little light is! It seems as if she is sitting by a fireplace, where the fire burns so brightly. Just as she reaches out to warm her feet, the flame goes out, and the fireplace disappears, leaving only the burned matchstick.
She strikes another match. Snap! The flame flares up, shining brightly. The wall becomes illuminated and translucent, as if she can see the objects inside the room. A white tablecloth covers the table, filled with all kinds of delicious food. Suddenly, a roasted goose jumps out of the dish, holding a knife and fork, wobbling toward her. Several large loaves of bread also jump off the table, standing in a row like soldiers.
At that moment, the flame goes out again, leaving only a dark and cold wall before her. The little girl doesn't want to strike another match, but she is trembling from the cold. She strikes another one. Snap! A bright flame flower blooms. Whoosh! How beautiful the Christmas tree is! It's the biggest and most beautiful one she has ever seen. The tree is decorated with many colorful Christmas cards, each with various beautiful pictures. Thousands of candles are lit on the tree, twinkling like stars waving hello to her.
The little girl reaches out her hand, but alas, the flame goes out again, and it's dark all around. She strikes another match and sees a candlelight rise up, turning into bright stars one by one. A star falls down, drawing a long trail in the sky. All the stars follow, like a rainbow hanging from the sky to the ground.
The little girl strikes another match, and the light illuminates everything so brightly that her grandmother appears in the glow. Her grandmother smiles at her, so gentle and kind. "Grandma—" the little girl's eyes fill with tears of joy and she rushes into her grandmother's arms. "Grandma, please take me away. I know that when the match goes out, you'll disappear!"
The little girl strikes match after match, wanting so badly to keep her grandmother with her. These matches emit a strong light, brighter than daylight. Her grandmother has never looked so beautiful and tall. The grandmother picks her up and holds her close. Together, they fly up into the light and joy. They fly higher and higher, to a place without cold or hunger, where they are with God.
When the match goes out, it's dark all around, and the little girl closes her eyes happily. On New Year's morning, the snow stops, the wind dies down, and the sun rises, shining golden light on the earth. Adults come to the street, greeting each other with "Happy New Year." Children in new clothes happily play snowball fights. At that moment, people see a little girl frozen to death in the corner, her face glowing with light and a smile on her lips. Around her, matchsticks are scattered on the ground, and one is still clutched in her small hand.