Chapter 3

THÉ LITTLÈ MATCH GIRL.

ålmôst	match	ácross
dark	running	bãŕè
yėàŕ	slipperś	fell

It wáś^woś verý côld. Thé snôw fell and it wáś^woś ålmôst dark.

It wáś^woś thé last day of^uv thé yėàŕ.

A littlè match girl wáś^woś running in thé street. Her nâmè wáś^woś Gretchén. Shê had nô hat on.

Her feet werè bãŕè. When shê left hômè, shê had on sőmè big slipperś of^uv her māmá's. But they werè sô larĝè that shê lost them when shê ran ácross thé street.

âprón	curlý	lights
bunch	ábout	smellèd
cōūld	matchėś	cōōking

Gretchén had a lot of^uv matchėś in her ôld âprón.

Shê had a littlè bunch in her hand.

But shê cōūld not sell her matchėś. Nô one^wőnè wōūld bùŷ them.

Pōōr littlè Gretchén!

Shê wáś^woś côld and huñgrý.

Thé snôw fell on her curlý hãir. But shê did not thiñk ábout that.

Shê saw lights in thé housėś.

Shê smellèd gōōd thingś cōōking.

Shê sãìd tó^tö herself, "This iś thé last night of^uv thé yėàŕ."

knew	windôw	fîŕè
mőnêy	êvén	pîlè

Gretchén got côlder and côlder.

Shê wáś^woś áfraid tó^tö gô hômè. Shê knew her pāpá wōūld whip her, if shê did not tâkè sőmè mőnêy tó^tö him.

It wáś^woś aś côld at hômè aś in thé street. They werè töö pōōr tó^tö havè a fîŕè. They had tó^tö pūt ragś in thé windôwś tó^tö keep out thé wind.

Gretchén did not êvén havè a bed. Shê had tó^tö sleep on a pîlè of^uv ragś.

frôzén	candlè	sitting
lightėd	thøùght	stôvè
nėàŕ	thiñk	step

Shê sat down on a dòor step.

Her littlè handś werè ålmôst frôzén.

Shê tōōk a match and lightėd it tó^tö wårm her handś. Thé match lōōkèd lîkè a littlè candlè.

Gretchén thøùght shê wáś^woś sitting bŷ a big stôvè. It wáś^woś sô bright.

Shê pūt thé match nėàŕ her feet, tó^tö wårm them. Then thé light went out. Shê did not thiñk that shê wáś^woś bŷ thé stôvè ãný morè.

ánőther	dishėś	roast
tâblè	cloth	reàdý
fork	knîfè	turkêy

Gretchén lightėd ánőther match.

Now shê thøùght shê cōūld lōōk intö a rööm. In this rööm wáś^woś a tâblè.

A whîtè cloth and prėttý dishėś werè on thé tâblè. Theŕè wáś^woś a roast turkêy, töö. It wáś^woś cōōkèd and reàdý tó^tö eat. Thé knîfè and fork werè in hiś back. Thé turkêy jumpèd fróm thé dish and ran tó^tö thé littlè girl.

Thé light went out and shê wáś^woś in thé côld and dark ágãìn.

Christmás	candlèś
mãný	until

Gretchén lightėd ánőther match. Then shê thøùght shê wáś^woś sitting bŷ a Christmás tree. Verý mãný candlèś werè on thé tree. It wáś^woś fūll of^uv prėttý thingś.

Gretchén pūt up her littlè handś. Thé light went out.

Thé lights on thé Christmás tree went up, up--until shê saw they werè thé starś.

grandmā	never	bėforè
dŷing	gôing	bėènbeen

Then shê saw a star fåll.

"Sőmè one^wőnè iś dŷing," sãìd littlè Gretchén.

Her grandmā had bėèn^been verý gōōd tó^tö thé littlè girl. But shê wáś^woś deàd.

Thé grandmā had sãìd, "When a star fållś sőmè one^wőnè iś gôing tó^tö God."

Thé littlè girl lightėd ánőther match. It mâdè a big light.

Gretchén thøùght shê saw her grandmā. Shê never lōōkèd sô prėttý bėforè. Shê lōōkèd sô sweet and happý.

tâkè

gôèś

"Ô grandmā," sãìd thé littlè girl, "tâkè mê. When thé light gôèś out yöü will gô áway. Thé stôvè and thé turkêy and thé Christmás tree åll went áway."

Then Gretchén lightėd a bunch of^uv matchėś. Shê wanted^wontéd tó^tö keep her grandmā with her. Thé matchėś mâdè it verý light.

Thé grandmā tōōk thé littlè girl in her armś. They went up, up--wheŕè they wōūld never bê côld or huñgrý.

They werè with God.

found	next	burnèd
deàd	frôzè	deàth

Thé next day câmè.

Sőmè men found a littlè girl in thé street. Shê wáś^woś deàd.

In her hand werè thé burnèd matchėś.

They sãìd, "Pōōr littlè thing, shê frôzè tó^tö deàth."

They did not knôw how happý shê wáś^woś in heàvén.