On a freezing New Year’s Eve, a poor young girl, frozen, shivering, bareheaded and barefoot, unsuccessfully tries to sell matches in the street. Afraid to go home because her father would beat her for failing to sell any matches and not earning even a single penny, she huddles in the alley between two houses and lights matches, one by one, to warm herself.
In the flame of the matches, she sees a series of comforting visions: a warm iron stove, a lovely roasted goose, and a great glorious Christmas tree. Each vision disappears as its match burns out. In the sky, she sees a shooting star, which her late grandmother had told her meant that someone is on their way to Heaven. In the flame of the next match she sees her late grandmother, the only person that ever treated her with love and kindness. To keep the vision of her grandmother alive as long as possible, the girl lights the entire bundle of matches she had.
When the matches are gone, the girl freezes to death in the cold weather, as her grandmother carries her soul to Heaven. The next morning, passers-by find the girl’s body with a smile on her face, and express pity. They do not know about the wonderful visions she had seen or how happy she is with her grandmother in Heaven.
（via Ouyang Zong, wiki | Contact Us）
If you want to read the full story, can visit The Little Match Girl.
I read this story when I was a child, and revisiting it now, I suddenly feel a pang of sadness and it makes me wonder if there are girls in a similar situation facing a dire predicament at this very moment. And, is there anyone who can save her or them?
Reality is often more rutal than stories!
