Inacornerformedbytwohouses,oneofwhichprojectedbeyondtheother.Shesatdown,drawingherlittlefeetcloseunderher,butinvain,shecouldnotwarmthem.Shedarednotgohome,shehadsoldnomatches,earnednotasinglepenny,andperhapsherfatherwouldbeather，besidesherhomewasalmostascoldasthestreet，itwasanattic；andalthoughthelargerofthemanychinksintheroofwerestoppedupwithstrawandrags.Thewindandsnowoftenpenetratedthrough.Herhandswerenearlydeadwithcold；onelittlematchfromherbundlewouldwarmthem.Perhaps,ifshedaredlightit,shedrewoneout,andstruckitagainstthewall,bravo！Itwasabright,warmflame,andsheheldherhandsoverit.Itwasquiteanilluminationforthatpoorlittlegirl；nay,1callitratheramagictaper,foritseemedtoherasthoughshewassittingbeforealargeiron-stovewithbrassornaments,sobeautifullyblazedthefirewithin！Thechildstretchedoutherfeettowarmthemalso；alas,inaninstanttheflamehaddiedaway,thestovevanished,thelittlegirlsatcoldandcomfortless,withtheburntmatchinherhand.
Asecondmatchwasstruckagainstthewall；itkindlesandblazed,andwhereveritslightfellthewallbecametransparentasaveil.Thelittlegirlcouldseeintotheroomwithin.Shesawthetablespreadwithasnow-whitedamaskcloth,whereonwererangedshiningchina-dishes；theroastgoosestuffedwithapplesanddriedplumsstoodatoneend,smokinghot,andwhichwaspleasantestofalltosee；thegoose,withknifeandforkstillinherbreast,jumpeddownfromthedish,andwaddledalongthefloorrightuptothepoorchild.Thematchwasburntout,andonlythethick,hardwallwasbesideher.
Shekindledathirdmatch.Againshotuptheflame；andnowshewassittingunderamostbeautifulChristmastree,farlarger,andfarmoreprettilydeckedout,thantheoneshehadseenlastChristmasevethroughtheglassdoorsoftherichmerchant'shouse.Hundredsofwax-taperslightedupthegreenbranches,andtinypaintedfigures,suchasshehadseenintheshop-windows,lookeddownfromthetreeuponher.Thechildstretchedoutherhandstowardsthemindelight,andinthatmomentthelightsofthematchwarmquenched；still,however,theChristmascandlesburnedhigherandhigher，shebeheldthembeaminglikestarsinheaven；oneofthemfell,thelightsstreamingbehinditlikealong,fierytail.
「Nowsomeoneisdying,」saidthelittlegirl,softly,forshehadbeentoldbyheroldgrandmother，theonlypersonwhohadeverbeenkindtoher,andwhowasnowdeadthatwheneverastarfallsanimmortalspiritreturnstotheGodwhogaveit.
Shestruckyetanothermatchagainstthewall；itflamedup,andsurroundedbyitslight,appearedbeforeherthatsamedeargrandmother,gentleandlovingasalways,butbrightandhappyasshehadneverlookedduringherlifetime.