Her little hands were almost frozen.
She took a match and lighted it to warm her hands. The match looked like a little candle.
Gretchen thought she was sitting by a big stove. It was so bright.
She put the match near her feet, to warm them. Then the light went out. She did not think that she was by the stove any more.
        *       *
          another       dishes          roast           table         cloth           ready           fork          knife           turkey 
Gretchen lighted another match.
Now she thought she could look into a room. In this room was a table.
A white cloth and pretty dishes were on the table. There was a roast turkey, too. It was cooked and ready to eat. The knife and fork were in his back. The turkey jumped from the dish and ran to the little girl.
The light went out and she was in the cold and dark again.
          Christmas     candles           many          until 
Gretchen lighted another match. Then she thought she was sitting by a Christmas tree. Very many candles were on the tree. It was full of pretty things.
Gretchen put up her little hands. The light went out.
The lights on the Christmas tree went up, up until she saw they were the stars.
        *       *
          grandma       never           before           dying         going           been 
Then she saw a star fall.
"Some one is dying," said little Gretchen.
Her grandma had been very good to the little girl. But she was dead.
The grandma had said, "When a star falls some one is going to God."
The little girl lighted another match. It made a big light.
Gretchen thought she saw her grandma. She never looked so pretty before. She looked so sweet and happy.
        *       *
          take          goes 
"O grandma," said the little girl, "take me. When the light goes out you will go away. The stove and the turkey and the Christmas tree all went away."
Then Gretchen lighted a bunch of matches. She wanted to keep her grandma with her. The matches made it very light.
The grandma took the little girl in her arms. They went up, up where they would never be cold or hungry.
They were with God.
        *       *
          found         next            burned           dead          froze           death 
The next day came.
Some men found a little girl in the street. She was dead.
In her hand were the burned matches.
They said, "Poor little thing, she froze to death."
They did not know how happy she was in heaven.
LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD.
          six           take            cake           coat          butter          basket           hood          always          off 
When May was six years old, her grandma made her a red coat with a hood. She looked so pretty in it that the children all called her "Red Riding-Hood."
One day her mama said, "I want you to take this cake and some butter to grandma."
Red Riding-Hood was very glad to go. She always had a good time at grandma's.