"The Little Match Girl" by Hans Christian Andersen tells the poignant story of a poor young girl living in a harsh winter. As she attempts to sell matches on the streets to survive, she is shunned by passersby and faces the bitter cold. To keep warm, she lights the matches one by one, each flame bringing her visions of warmth and love, including scenes with her deceased grandmother. These brief moments of happiness contrast sharply with her grim reality. Ultimately, the story highlights themes of compassion, social injustice, and the fleeting nature of life, culminating in a heart-wrenching conclusion. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].
This book is part of a book series called World Classics .
There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published in 2014 by Macmillan Education Australia .
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his writing down of many timeless, classic fairy tales. He is Denmark's most famous author and his birthday is celebrated every year with a part called "Odin Story Day". Joy Cowley has written hundreds of stories for children, some of which are published all over the world.
This book contains the following story:
The Little Match Girl
On a cold New Year's Eve, a poor girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold and early hypothermia. Still she is afraid to go home because her father will beat her for not selling any matches. She shelters in a nook and sits down. The girl lights the matches to warm herself. In their glow, she sees several lovely visions including a Christmas tree and a holiday feast. The girl looks skyward and sees a shooting star; she then remembers her dead grandmother saying that such a falling star means someone is dying and is going to Heaven. As she lights the next match, she sees a vision of her grandmother, the only person to have treated her with love and kindness. She strikes one match after another to keep the vision of her grandmother alive for as long as she can. Running out of matches, the child dies and her grandmother carries her soul to Heaven. The next morning, passers-by find the child dead in the nook and feel pity for her.
