Once upon a time, on a terribly cold and snowy New Year’s Eve, a little girl roamed the dark streets all by herself. She had nothing to keep her warm and no shoes to protect her bare feet. The slippers she had worn from home fell off her feet, one crushed by a carriage and the other taken by a naughty boy.
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She then walked around with only her patch-filled apron and bundle of matches in hand. Despite her efforts to sell her matches, she remained hungry and cold throughout the day.
(mustafa kocabas/ Shutterstock)
She feared her father’s wrath as she hadn’t made any money to bring back home. So, as the night grew colder and her feet turned blue from the freezing snow, she sought a corner to keep herself warm.
(mustafa kocabas/ Shutterstock)
And so, she decided to light some matches to provide a bit of warmth. With each match, she saw a vision of warmth and beauty, but as soon as each match burnt out, the vision faded away. Along the way, she saw a large fireplace, a table filled with delicious food, and a bright Christmas tree; all things she could never have imagined before.
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As the last of her matches burnt out, she could see her beloved grandmother smiling at her.
(mustafa kocabas/ Shutterstock)
The little girl asked her grandma to take her with her, and her grandmother obliged. She took the little girl’s hands and they flew higher and higher until they were with God.
(mustafa kocabas/ Shutterstock)
The next morning, the little girl was found frozen to death with a bundle of burnt matches by her side. But no one knew the magical things she saw before her passing.
(mustafa kocabas/ Shutterstock)
This heart-warming bedtime story is a timeless tale of hope and the belief in something greater than ourselves. It teaches children the value of perseverance and faith, even in the most difficult of circumstances. It is a true classic that will undoubtedly bring warmth to any child’s heart.
