And the little tree went to sleep. The fairy gave it what it wanted.
When it woke, it had its needles again. Then the little pine tree was happy.
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL.
          almost        match           across           dark          running         bare           year          slippers        fell 
It was very cold. The snow fell and it was almost dark.
It was the last day of the year.
A little match girl was running in the street. Her name was Gretchen.
She had no hat on.
Her feet were bare. When she left home, she had on some big slippers of her mama's. But they were so large that she lost them when she ran across the street.
        *       *
          apron         curly           lights           bunch         about           smelled           could         matches         cooking 
Gretchen had a lot of matches in her old apron.
She had a little bunch in her hand.
But she could not sell her matches. No one would buy them.
Poor little Gretchen!
She was cold and hungry.
The snow fell on her curly hair. But she did not think about that.
She saw lights in the houses.
She smelled good things cooking.
She said to herself, "This is the last night of the year."
        *       *
          knew          window          fire           money         even            pile 
Gretchen got colder and colder.
She was afraid to go home. She knew her papa would whip her, if she did not take some money to him.
It was as cold at home as in the street. They were too poor to have a fire. They had to put rags in the windows to keep out the wind.
Gretchen did not even have a bed. She had to sleep on a pile of rags.
        *       *
          frozen        candle          sitting           lighted       thought         stove           near          think           step 
She sat down on a door step.