English Language Workbook Page 26
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37warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a
warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It
seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with
burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed
influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to
warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains
of the burnt-out match in her hand.
She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall,
there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the
table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the
roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what
was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on
the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when--the
match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted
another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was
still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in
the rich merchant's house.
Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as
she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out
her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose
higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long
trail of fire.
"Someone is just dead!" said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who
had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul
ascends to God.
She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the
old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.
"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match
burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the
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