Passersby ignore her. Her hands grow so cold that she lights one of the matches, and in the flame, a great stove appears. The match girl lights another match. A fable opera appears in the flame, and then she sees in a window a table set for a family, upon which sits a foolish goose. A tattered stranger approaches the table and is invited in.
Guests dance a polka.
The match girl dreams that one day she might be invited in as well. Desperately, the match girl lights another match, and in its flame, another fable appears. Again, when the match goes out, she is left desolate. In her weakened state, her matches seem to dance. They invite her to light another of them.