the streets.
When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on; but of
what use were they? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used
them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she
slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly
fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy had seized the
other, and run away with it. He thought he could use it very well as a
cradle, some day when he had children of his own. So now the little girl
went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the
cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and a bundle of
them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day, and no one
had given her a farthing.

Shivering with cold and hunger she crept along, a picture of misery,
poor little girl! The snowflakes covered her long fair hair, which fell
in pretty curls over her neck; but she did not think of that now. In all
the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious 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 beyond the
other, she sat down, cowering. She had drawn up her little feet, but she
was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no
matches, and did not bring a farthing of money. From her father she
would certainly receive a beating, and besides, it was cold at home, for
they had nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled,
though the largest rents had been stopped with straw and rags.

Her little hands were almost benumbed with the cold. Ah, a match might
do her good, if she could only draw one from the bundle, and rub it
against the wall, and warm her hands at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch!
how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little
candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little
light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great
polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. How the fire
burned! how comfortable it was! but the little flame went out, the stove
vanished, and she had only the remains of the burned match in her hand.

A second was rubbed against the wall. It burned up, and when the light
fell upon the wall it became transparent like a thin veil, and she could
see through it into the room. On the table a snow-white cloth was
spread; upon it stood a