The Little Match Girl A CHRISTMAS STORY

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 98, 17 December 1970, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Little Match Girl A CHRISTMAS STORY

jllpljllf One December day, a ||||t|||^ poor little girl trudged MHM1I along a busy city street through cold, deep snow. She wore no shoes but on jpPII one foot she wore one |||j|§j|^ man's large slipper which |f||§|||j§| she had. found in a trashJJTlSil can. Her feet were red $$$$£' and raw in the bitter cold. In her apron she carried many boxes of matches which she tried to sell to j§|||§|| passersby. The little girl was not having any luck, but she j|| j§j||§| was afraid to go home, for llBllll her father had said he would beat her if she came IRiS|8|. home without money. Now it was getting colder, the snow was coming down harder, a wind was §|||§||f whipping her threadbare llflllll: scarf against her cheek. j||g|f| She huddled in a corner jflfllfll between two buildings, §Mff| trying to get warm. |||||§|§f She took a match from 8J1|||^ her apron and lighted it, to fgKjfc warm her numb fingers. How brightly it sputtered ! Hln its light she seemed to see a big warm stove with pots bubbling happily. But when the match burned out the beautiful scene disappeared. is "■ She struck another match . . . and another, -w. ^ . !S:; 8 Iji ' IwXwwX'ft'Wv. ivX'.vX'Iv-x-, •; «Xv.v.v •"vl'XWv^v/, .vX^x-y.v/X :S m $:•

and each time another lovely scene took shape before her eyes...tall taper :.x|!S candles which seemed to grow longer, rising higher. The candles rose higher, until they became stars in ' the sky; then one of them 1 lllfp fell. | "Oh !" she said to her- B®81t self, "that falling star WSS&i means someone is dying." MX&S: She struggled to light another match, then another . . . and suddenly, iBHIllj right in the midst of the • bright glow was her dear mother who had died when lilllllli the little girl was just a 3- W?.:-£ year-old. "Mother!" the little girl cried. "Mother ! Please take me with you !" Her mother gathered her into her arms, and together they rose high up iBllljl to the sky, so high, there WSSSt were angels hovering near, and the little girl sighed with joy. In the morning, when busy shoppers hurried by MSSS they saw the little match girl huddled on the hard sidewalk, burned matches about her. She seemed to :1jf| be sleeping, and a smile was on her lips. ADAPTED FROM THE TALE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN ::v>. X-. . 'X;.