A famous story by Hans Christian Andersen: a poor girl, a cold night, and small lights full of dreams.
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These are the new words for this story. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = D (cold) · 2 = E (a match) · 3 = A (a flame) · 4 = C (barefoot)
5 = G (to shake) · 6 = H (a dream) · 7 = B (a grandmother) · 8 = F (warm)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
It was the last evening of the year. It was very cold, and snow was falling. A little girl was walking in the streets. She was barefoot — she had no shoes. She had some old slippers when she left home, but they were too big, and she lost them in the street.
The girl was very poor. She had a lot of small matches to sell, and she held them in her cold hands. But all day, no one bought a match from her. No one gave her any money. She was cold and hungry, and the snow fell on her long hair.
There were bright lights in every window. She could smell food — it was New Year's Eve, and the families were happy inside. The girl sat down in a corner between two houses. She was very cold, but she did not want to go home. She had no money, and her father would be angry. And her home was cold too, with wind coming through the walls.
1. Why is the girl in the street? What happened to her shoes?
2. Why does she not want to go home?
1. She is trying to sell matches. Her slippers were too big and she lost them in the street, so now she is barefoot.
2. She has no money because no one bought a match. Her father will be angry, and her home is cold too.
Her hands were very cold. "Maybe one match will help me," she thought. She took one match and rubbed it on the wall. A small flame started, warm and bright. For a moment, she felt she was near a big, warm fire. But then the flame went out, and the fire was gone.
She used a second match. Now she saw a table with lots of good food on it — a big dinner for New Year. It looked wonderful. But then the flame went out again, and she saw only the cold wall.
She used a third match. Now she saw a beautiful Christmas tree, with many little lights on it. She looked up at the lights. The flame went out, but the lights went up, up into the sky — and they were the stars. One star fell down. The girl remembered her grandmother, who was not alive now. Her grandmother once said: "When a star falls, someone is going up to be with God." Her grandmother was the only person who was always kind to her.
1. What does the girl see in the first three matches?
2. What did her grandmother say about a falling star?
1. In the first match, a warm fire; in the second, a table with lots of food; in the third, a beautiful Christmas tree with lights that become the stars.
2. That when a star falls, someone is going up to be with God.
The girl used one more match. And now she saw her grandmother in the light — kind and beautiful. "Grandmother!" the girl said. "Please take me with you! I know you will go when the match goes out." So the girl quickly used all her matches, because she wanted her grandmother to stay. The matches made a big, bright light. Her grandmother took the little girl in her arms, and together they went up, high and happy, to a warm place with no cold, no hunger and no fear.
The next morning, people found the little girl in the corner, sitting very still. She had a soft smile on her face, and all her matches were beside her. "She wanted to get warm," the people said. But no one knew about the beautiful things she saw, or that she was now happy with her grandmother, in the new year.
1. Why does the girl use all her matches at the same time?
2. What do the people see in the morning? What do they not understand?
1. She sees her grandmother in the light and uses all the matches so her grandmother will stay with her.
2. They see the girl sitting still with a smile and her matches beside her. They think she only wanted to get warm; they do not know about the beautiful things she saw, or that she is now happy with her grandmother.
This story is full of things the girl does not have but hopes for. English has two easy ways to talk about the things we hope for and dream about.
Read the sentence and complete it. Both answers can be correct — choose one and say why.
1. The little girl to be warm. (a strong feeling)
2. "I like to see my grandmother," she said softly. (soft and polite)
3. She some warm food. (want + noun)
4. "I would to go home," she thought. (would like + to + verb)
1. wants (want + to + verb)
2. would ("I would like to see…")
3. wants (want + noun)
4. like ("I would like to go home")
Put the verb in the correct form after want to or would like to. Then read it out loud.
1. The girl wants to (sit) by the warm fire.
2. She would like to (eat) the good food on the table.
3. She wants to (stay) with her grandmother.
1. sit (want to + base verb)
2. eat (would like to + base verb)
3. stay (want to + base verb)
Fill each gap with want(s) to or would like to. Read it aloud when you finish.
The little girl is very cold. She be warm, and she eat the good food she sees. Most of all, she would to see her kind grandmother again.
wants to (a strong feeling) · wants to (a strong feeling) · like (would like to see her grandmother)
Use want to for a strong feeling, and would like to when you want to sound softer and more polite.
Hans Christian Andersen wrote this story a very long time ago, in 1845. It is short and simple, but people all over the world still read it. It is a sad story, but it is also warm and beautiful — and that is why we remember it.
Andersen tells the sad ending in a soft, gentle way. He does not use hard words. He shows us a smile, a warm light, and a grandmother's arms. Some people feel happy for the girl at the end; some people feel sad and angry that no one helped her before.
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of The Little Match Girl in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a cold New Year's night → a poor, barefoot girl with matches → no one buys a match → the matches and the dreams (fire, food, a tree) → her grandmother → the quiet morning.
Try to use want to and would like to ("she wants to be warm", "she would like to see her grandmother"), and some of the key words (cold, match, flame, barefoot, shake, dream, grandmother, warm).
When the girl is cold, she dreams of warm and happy things. When you are sad or tired, what do you think about to feel better? Is it good to dream like this? Why, or why not?
Tell a short story of your own. Use want to and would like to to say what you or someone wanted.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: