Today I offer up another old favorite, The Little Match Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen. I remember this story from childhood but did not really appreciate how sad it was until I had children and tried to read it to them with a cracking voice. Now that I have grandchildren I wouldn't even attempt it out loud. This story is well worth the tears.
This classic tale is about a little girl who is sent out in the freezing weather each day to sell small bundles of matches on the street corners. On the last night of the year she seeks shelter from the cold and strikes a match to warm herself. In the light she sees visions including her grandmother. She strikes one match after another to maintain the vision of the only person who ever loved her.
Although not truly a Christmas story, The Little Match Girl is found in several anthologies such 10 Best Loved Christmas Classic Stories for All Ages and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales: A Selection (Oxford World's Classics) both free on Kindle. You can also read it free in one file from Daily Lit. There have been a couple of movies based on this winter classic.
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