But no one paid attention to her. Everyone was rushing past him and leaving. A woman was found from a distance. The girl ran to her and begged:

“Ma’am, please buy me a match!”

– I don’t need it, girl. At home, I have a lot of matches.

It is snowing faster. The girl was shivering from the cold.

Also See the Story: The Snow Queen

– Wow, how cold it is! I have to go home. But no… I can’t go back until I sell the matches, because my father will beat me again.

The girl stopped. She put her frozen hands in front of her mouth and “Ha” to them; And then she started again.

– Matches… I have matches, please buy them!

But no one came to her. No one bought a match from her.

The girl was hungry. She had not eaten anything since morning. Her heart was weak from hunger. A house smelled of good food.

– Wow… what a good smell! How hungry I am! I have to sell the matches and go home soon. If I don’t hurry, people will go home.

She made his steps faster and her voice louder:

– I… I have a match, a match…

The girl was about to cross the middle of the street when suddenly she heard a voice:

“Tap, Tap, Tap,…”

It was the sound of a horse pulling a cart that was speeding towards him. The girl was shocked. He quickly pulled herself out of the way of the horse and cart, but her wooden boots fell off her feet and he was thrown into the snow.

– Wow… my wooden shoes! A memory of my dear mother! what do i do now where did they fall How do I find them? …

The little girl brushed away the snow with her cold and frozen hands and looked for her wooden shoes. Once her eyes fell on the other side of the street. One of her shoes had fallen there among the snow.

“There it is!”

cried the little girl happily. and ran to the other side of the street; But as soon as she wanted to take the shoe, a mischievous and evil child came, snatched the shoe from her hand and mischievously said:

“wow!” What a good thing I found! “When I grow up, I will make it my baby’s cradle.”

Then he ran away.

The girl was walking with bare feet in the cold and snowy street. It is snowing heavily. The girl’s hair was white from the snow. There was no one left on the street. Everyone had gone to their homes.

Light shines from the windows of the houses. The laughter of children who were happily waiting to eat their mother’s cooking could be heard. The girl who sold matches sighed and said:

“They are happy!” I also loved my mother’s cooking. How happy I was when she was alive!”

Her legs were numb from the cold. She wanted to go home, but she still hadn’t sold a single match.

She could no longer take a step. She sat under the porch of a house. She tried to warm her hands and feet with her breath. But it was useless! It was not warm!

The girl said to herself:

“I’m cold!” “I’d better light a match, maybe I’ll warm up a bit.”

Then he pulled one of the matchsticks to the wall. The match was lit and in the middle of its flame, a warm and bright heater appeared. The girl said happily:

“How good!” … Now I can warm myself with this heater.”

But as soon as she wanted to approach the stove and warm himself, the stove turned off. Only a burnt match stick remained in her hand. The girl took another match stick and put it on the wall.

The match was lit. This time, the girl saw a dish full of food in the middle of the match flame.

– Wow… what a delicious food!

In the food dish, there were plums, apples and a fried goose from which fragrant steam rose. The little girl was looking at the food dish with joy and surprise. Suddenly, in front of her eyes, a fried goose flew with a knife and fork stuck in her back. The little girl reached out to catch the goose, but…

The flame of the match ran out and the imaginary foods disappeared.

There was no sign of food! In front of the girl’s eyes, there was only a long and cold wall. She also lit the third match. The fire burned and the Christmas tree appeared with several lighted candles. The girl’s eyes sparkled with joy.

– What a tree! It is even more beautiful than the Christmas tree of the rich people!

The girl stretched her hand towards the tree. But at the same time the match went out. The Christmas tree also disappeared. Only the flame of one of the candles remained, which quickly rose, and soon it became a star and clung to the chest of the sky. It was as if they had painted a Christmas tree in the sky.

The little girl was looking at the sky in wonder.

– How beautiful it is…

And suddenly she saw that a star separated from the sky and fell down. She said to herself:

“… so tonight someone will die!”

She learned this from her grandmother. Grandmother used to say when she was alive:

“If a star falls to the ground, it means that someone will die and his soul will go to God.”

The little girl remembered her kind grandmother and said softly:

“Grandma, I miss you so much!”

She also lit the fourth match. At that time, in the middle of the fire, she saw his kind grandmother.

– Ah… my dear grandmother!

and jumped into her arms.

Grandmother hugged and kissed her kindly.

The little girl explained her hardships and problems to her grandmother. Then she said crying:

“My good grandmother, don’t go away from me!” I know, when the match goes out, you’ll disappear like a hot stove and a roast goose and a Christmas tree, won’t you?’

At the same time, the flame of the match went out. The grandmother’s face also went dark. The little girl shouted:

“No… Grandma, don’t go!” I don’t want you to go! I want you to stay with me!”

Then she took out all the matches from the box and said to herself:

“I will set them all on fire, maybe I can keep the grandmother.”

The girl pulled the match sticks to the wall.

The fire flared up and lit up the surroundings.

In the light of the fire, the grandmother’s face was found again.

“My good grandma, my dear grandmother, don’t leave me alone!” cried the little girl.

Grandma smiled. Then he gently hugged the girl.

In the black night sky, a bright and luminous path opened.

In this bright way, the little girl and her grandmother went higher and higher.

– Grandma, where are we going?

– We are going to heaven, baby!

– Paradise ?! What kind of place is heaven?

– Heaven is a warm place full of flowers; It is full of delicious food. new! Your mother is there too. He is waiting for you now. From now on, the three of us live happily together. Your difficulties and problems are over, my dear!

The little girl’s heart was filled with joy. He felt very happy. Then she slowly closed his eyes.

In this way, the girl flew to God. She became a star in the night sky.

The night ended. The sun rose.

The bells rang and announced the approaching delivery of the year.

People who came to the street saw the girl lying on the ground with her eyes closed.

They ran and informed the doctor; But the girl’s body was cold. He left this world hours ago!

Her lips were like red apples. It had a beautiful smile on it. It was like falling into a blissful sleep.

It was full of burnt matchsticks. A bunch of burnt matches could be seen in her hands. Someone said,

“Oh, god, this kid wanted to warm himself with a match fire!” »

Tears rolled in people’s eyes.

In the meantime, a woman’s voice was heard crying.

She was the same woman whom the little girl had asked to buy a match the night before.

The woman’s voice could be heard in the middle of her crying:

“Forgive me!” I’m sorry, my poor girl! If I had bought a match from you last night, maybe this wouldn’t have happened!”

A few people sighed and fixed their sad eyes on the ground. They were the ones who had seen the girl the night before and had not bought a match from her.

People lifted the cold body of the girl and took it to the church. Everyone prayed for the peace of her soul; But no one knew what beautiful thing the little girl had seen in the flame of the matches and with what great joy she had flown to the sky.

Now he was in heaven. With her mother and grandmother. They had celebrated the New Year in heaven. Maybe if people listened well, they would hear the girl’s laughter and happiness from heaven!