Chapter Two

She Lights a Match


New Year’s Eve is so cold.

The little match girl wants to go home.

But her father will beat her if she doesn’t sell any matches.

“Go out and sell the matches. Bring me the money,” he will shout.

The little girl’s fingers are stiff from cold.

She cannot feel her fingers!

She wants to warm her hands.

She takes out a match and she lights it.

“What a warm flame!”exclaims the little girl.

She warms her hands over the fire.

She looks into the flame. It dances with warmth.

The heat gets stronger and stronger.

“It’s magic! There is a stove in the match flame! And the stove has a big fire,”the little girl exclaims.

She holds out her hands to the heat.

She can feel much warmth.

Suddenly the match flame goes out!

The warm stove is gone!

“Oh,no!Where is the stove?”cries the little girl.

It is getting darker and darker.

It is colder and colder.


beat /biːt/ 打

fin‧ger /ˈfɪŋɡə/手指

stiff /stɪf/ 僵硬的

flame /fleɪm/ 火苗

ma‧gic /ˈmædʒɪk/ 神奇的事，魔法

dark /dɑːk / 黑暗的 （比较级 darker）