INTERMEDIATE READING JOURNAL: THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and
it was almost dark. Evening came on, the last evening of the year. In the cold
and gloom a poor little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the
streets. Of course when she had left her house she'd had slippers on, but what
good had they been? They were very big slippers, way too big for her, for they
belonged to her mother. The little girl had lost them running across the road,
where two carriages had rattled by terribly fast. One slipper she'd not been
able to find again, and a boy had run off with the other, saying he could use
it very well as a cradle some day when he had children of his own. And so the
little girl walked on her naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the
cold. In an old apron she carried several packages of matches, and she held a
box of them in her hand. No one had bought any from her all day long, and no
one had given her a cent.
Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept
along, a picture of misery, poor little girl! The snowflakes fell on her long
fair hair, which hung in pretty curls over her neck. In all the windows lights
were shining, and there was a wonderful smell of roast goose, for it was New
Year's eve. Yes, she thought of that!
In a corner formed by two houses, one of which
projected farther out into the street than the other, she sat down and drew up
her little feet under her. She was getting colder and colder, but did not dare
to go home, for she had sold no matches, nor earned a single cent, and her
father would surely beat her. Besides, it was cold at home, for they had
nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled even though the
biggest cracks had been stuffed with straw and rags.
Her hands were almost dead with cold. Oh, how
much one little match might warm her! If she could only take one from the box
and rub it against the wall and warm her hands. She drew one out. R-r-ratch! How it
sputtered and burned! It made a warm, bright flame, like a little candle, as
she held her hands over it; but it gave a strange light! It really seemed to
the little girl as if she were sitting before a great iron stove with shining
brass knobs and a brass cover. How wonderfully the fire burned! How comfortable
it was! The youngster stretched out her feet to warm them too; then the little
flame went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the burnt
match in her hand.
She struck another match against the wall. It
burned brightly, and when the light fell upon the wall it became transparent
like a thin veil, and she could see through it into a room. On the table a
snow-white cloth was spread, and on it stood a shining dinner service. The
roast goose steamed gloriously, stuffed with apples and prunes. And what was
still better, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled along the floor
with a knife and fork in its breast, right over to the little girl. Then the
match went out, and she could see only the thick, cold wall. She lighted
another match. Then she was sitting under the most beautiful Christmas tree. It
was much larger and much more beautiful than the one she had seen last
Christmas through the glass door at the rich merchant's home. Thousands of
candles burned on the green branches, and colored pictures like those in the
printshops looked down at her. The little girl reached both her hands toward
them. Then the match went out. But the Christmas lights mounted higher. She saw
them now as bright stars in the sky. One of them fell down, forming a long line
of fire.
"Now someone is dying," thought the
little girl, for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and
who was now dead, had told her that when a star fell down a soul went up to
God.
She rubbed another match against the wall. It
became bright again, and in the glow the old grandmother stood clear and
shining, kind and lovely.
"Grandmother!" cried the child.
"Oh, take me with you! I know you will disappear when the match is burned
out. You will vanish like the warm stove, the wonderful roast goose and the
beautiful big Christmas tree!"
And she quickly struck the whole bundle of
matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother with her. And the matches
burned with such a glow that it became brighter than daylight. Grandmother had
never been so grand and beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and
both of them flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and
up there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor fear-they were with God.
But in the corner, leaning against the wall,
sat the little girl with red cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the
last evening of the old year. The New Year's sun rose upon a little pathetic
figure. The child sat there, stiff and cold, holding the matches, of which one
bundle was almost burned.
Summary
There lived a girl who sold match. In the town, the last
night of old year, she must sell her match, with naked foot, and terribly cold.
She can’t go home because her father can be mad if she can’t sell it. Until she
feels so tired and sit on the corner of beautiful Christmas tree. She starts
rubbed her match to the match and see her dead grandmother. Her grandmother
looks so stunning but she’ll be gone as the fire. She keeps turned the match
until she struck a lot of matches and turn on it. It burns with such a glow
that it became brighter than daylight and her grandmother hold her and fly
together to heaven. On the morning people around the town find a girl with red
cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death with bundle of matches. They think,
"She wanted to warm herself," but they didn’t know how beautiful it
was.
Reading Responses (10 out of 15)
1 This
story has different kind of character, as:
-
Protagonist : the girl (+ main
character)
-
Antagonist : the girl’s
father
-
Supporting : a boy, grandmother,
and people
2 I
predict that the girl and her grandmother will live happily in heaven. It can
be proved as:
She took the little girl in her arms, and both of them flew
in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and up there was
neither cold, nor hunger, nor fear-they were with God.
3 This story problem is about a girl who forced
to sell match although it’s snow outside.
Personal opinion: as a parent, his father must realize that
loving and caring family is important. So, it must be solved from her father
first. And in one other hand, as human, people around the town should pay
attention when they see a little girl like that. They may buy her matches and
maybe invite her to their house to reduce coldness and hunger.
4 Author messages of this story
-
Family should love and care each other
She was
getting colder and colder, but did not dare to go home, for she had sold no
matches, nor earned a single cent, and her father would surely beat her.
-
God is the one who will always hear you
She took the
little girl in her arms, and both of them flew in brightness and joy above the
earth, very, very high, and up there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor
fear-they were with God.
5 I wish I can change the story: people will buy her
matches so she can go home and enjoy new year’s eve.
6 I will definitely recommend this story to Sunday school
teacher because it’s so interesting and has good messages for children.
7 The little girl learn about how hard life goes on, but
after of all there’ll always there light.
8 On this story, I think there’s no changed of the
characters. Because the difference is just the little girl dies at the end of
the story.
10 This story is written in third person, as example on the
1st paragraph:
In the cold and gloom a poor little girl,
bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. Of course when she
had left her house she'd had slippers on, but what good had they
been?
14 Character traits on the story
-
The little girl / poor:
She was
getting colder and colder, but did not dare to go home, for she
had sold no matches, nor earned a single cent, and her father would
surely beat her.
-
The girl’s father / cruel:
She was
getting colder and colder, but did not dare to go home, for she had sold no
matches, nor earned a single cent, and her father would surely beat her.
-
The boy / naughty:
One slipper
she'd not been able to find again, and a boy had run off with the other,
saying he could use it very well as a cradle some day when he had
children of his own.
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