Today we are going to talk about a fairy tale that is very sad. It is called “The Little Match Girl.” This story comes from “Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales” by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Although it looks like a story for children, it actually has a very profound meaning and is worth reading for adults as well.
The story takes place on the last day of the year—New Year’s Eve. On this day, families gather together to eat a New Year’s Eve dinner and welcome the arrival of the new year in a lively atmosphere. But on this cold night, a little girl is walking alone on the street.
She has no shoes, and her feet are frozen red. Her clothes are torn and old, and she is holding a box of matches, hoping to sell some to get some money to go home.
Why was she on the street?
The little girl’s family was very poor, and her parents couldn’t take care of her. To make a living, she had to sell matches to earn a little money. That morning, she had left home wearing a pair of big slippers that her mother had worn before. But as she was walking, a horse-drawn carriage suddenly rushed over, and she ran away in fright, losing her shoes.
One shoe was never found, and the other was taken by a young boy. The boy joked, “When I have children one day, I’ll use this shoe as a cradle.”
The little girl walked barefoot on the street all day. Snowflakes kept falling, and it grew colder and colder. Her hands were so cold she could hardly feel them, but she still clutched the box of matches tightly because she knew that if she didn’t earn a single penny, her father would scold her when she got home.
She didn’t dare go home
The little girl knew she hadn’t sold a single match that day and hadn’t earned a single coin.She was afraid that her hot-tempered father would beat her when she got home. And even if she did go home, there would be no warmth to speak of. Their house was dilapidated and drafty, not much better than the streets.
So she walked to a corner between two houses, crouched down, and curled up into a ball, trying to keep warm.
But she was too cold to feel any warmth at all. She shivered uncontrollably and couldn’t help but start striking matches to keep warm.
The first match: Seeing the fireplace
She trembled as she pulled a match from the box, struck it against the wall, and it ignited with a hiss.
The tiny flame illuminated her face and brought a hint of warmth. In that moment, she seemed to see a large fireplace, burning brightly, warming the entire room. She stretched her feet toward it, wanting to warm them as well.
But just as she began to feel comfortable, the matchstick went out. The warm fireplace disappeared, leaving only the cold night and falling snow.
Lighting the match for the second time: the smell of roast goose
The little girl couldn’t bear to part with the warmth she had just felt, so she lit another match. This time, she saw a table laden with delicious food in front of her, covered with a white tablecloth and set with exquisite plates and bowls.
What attracted her most was the roast goose, whose aroma filled the air. The goose even jumped out of the plate and slowly walked toward her.
Just as she was about to reach out, the matchstick went out again. Everything disappeared, leaving only the cold walls and falling snowflakes.
The Third Match: Joy Under the Christmas Tree
The little girl lit the third match. This time, she felt as though she was sitting under a beautiful Christmas tree. The branches were adorned with sparkling candles and colorful ornaments, just like the beautiful items in shop windows.
She wanted to touch the gifts, but before she could, the match went out again. However, this time she saw the stars twinkling in the sky, and one star fell, drawing a bright line across the sky.
The little girl remembered her grandmother saying that when a star falls from the sky, someone on earth dies.
Grandmother’s Love: The Only Warmth
The little girl’s grandmother was the only person in the world who truly cared about her. Her grandmother had passed away, but she always remembered the words her grandmother had said to her and her gentle smile.
Thinking of this, the little girl lit another match. This time, she saw her grandmother standing in the light, her face beaming with a kind smile.
The little girl cried out excitedly, “Grandmother! Please take me with you! I know that once the matches go out, you will disappear too, just like the stove, the roast goose, and the Christmas tree!”
To keep her grandmother with her, the little girl quickly lit all the remaining matches. In the light of the flames, her grandmother gently picked her up and carried her slowly into the sky.
They flew higher and higher, leaving behind the cold, hunger, and pain of the world, flying toward a place without sorrow.
New Year’s Morning: A Cold Ending
The next morning, the sun shone on the earth, and a new year began.
People found the little girl sitting quietly in the corner, dead. A smile seemed to linger on her lips, and she was holding a few burnt matchsticks in her hand.
No one knew what she had seen before she died. Perhaps she really went to heaven with her grandmother, where she would finally no longer be hungry, cold, or lonely.
Some people said, “Poor child, she probably just wanted to keep herself warm.”
Summary: The truth behind the story
On the surface, this story is a fairy tale, but it actually reveals many social issues:
Extreme wealth disparity: On a night when everyone else was celebrating the holiday, the little girl was forgotten on the street because of her poverty.
Lack of family love: The little girl did not feel loved by her parents; her father was cold and violent, and her mother had already passed away.
Social indifference: The people on the street were too busy celebrating the New Year to notice the little girl’s plight.
Death is not the end, but liberation: The little girl sees her grandmother in a hallucination and follows her to a happy world, symbolizing her escape from suffering.
This story tells us that sometimes what we think of as a “fairy tale” is actually a reflection of real life. It reminds us to pay attention to the disadvantaged, cherish the people around us, and not ignore the suffering of others.
What can we learn from this?
1. Learn to be grateful for what you have
All the little girl wanted was to have enough to eat, warm clothes, and someone to love her. We have these basic necessities, so we should be more grateful and cherish what we have.
2. Care for others and spread warmth
Perhaps we cannot change the injustices of society, but we can be a little kinder and less indifferent in our own lives.
3. Do not neglect children’s growth environment
The little girl’s tragedy was not only caused by poverty, but also by the lack of family love. As parents, we must give our children a sense of security and love.
4. Understand the power of literature
Hans Christian Andersen used a simple fairy tale to tell a profound truth. This is the charm of literature—it not only tells stories, but also touches people’s hearts and provokes thought.
Closing Remarks
“The Little Match Girl” is not a simple story; it shows us another side of the world. While we enjoy our warm lives, we must also learn to understand and help those who are suffering.
May every child grow up healthy under the sun, and may everyone feel the warmth of the world.
