The Innocent Match Girl

Once, there was a little girl who made her living by selling matchsticks in the street. It was the New Year’s Eve. The streets were deserted.

One could listen to the sound of singing and also laughter as everyone got ready to celebrate the coming of the New Year. But she sat gloomily beside the fountain.

She wore clothes that barely sufficed. That day her sales were zero and was scared to go home as she knew her father would be cross. Her little fingers were numb with cold.

She took a match and with great difficulty lit it. She saw a burning stove in the light of the matchstick.

When the girl stretched her hand for the stove, the matchstick went out and so took her vision with it. She lit another match and found a dining table that laden with delicious food and was lit by a candle.

Again the match went out extinguishing her vision with it. She had a glimpse of everything her life had been denied of like warmth and good food. Here eyes got filled with tears as she thought of herself.

She gazed at the lit windows and prayed to receive such happiness. This little girl lit the third match and was amazed to see something more wonderful took place.

This was a Christmas tree with numerous candles, colored balls and glittering tinsels.

As she was gazing the Christmas tree with surprise, the match burned her fingers and the candles of the Christmas tree rose higher and suddenly trailed behind.

The Christmas tree lights left a trail behind and the little girl recollected her beloved grandmother who always said that a falling star is an indication of stopping heart beat.

She was scared that she would lose her grandmother and without thinking of anything else, she lit another match and this time she happened to see her granny.

At the very sight of her granny, she pleaded her granny to stay with her, so that her granny did not vanish like other visions. Her plead was granted and her granny did not disappear and instead gazed at her smilingly.

Many days passed by and her granny also passed away. She felt all alone in this world and everyday in the evening lit a matchstick in front of Christ and asked for her granny.

One day her granny appeared and the little girl requested to accompany her granny as she was all alone dying with cold, hunger and pain. Her granny had come to her as a messenger to Christ and the little girl was taken with her granny.

The next day dawned and by the road a lifeless body was laid encircled by spent matched. Passers by exclaimed pity on the poor soul but Christ had blessed her and taken to paradise who then is believed to appear as an angel.