In the streets of a city, a little girl named Emily was selling
matches. It wasn’t easy for her to sell matches because there were people who
wanted them and some who didn’t. But she did manage to earn some pennies from
the matches.
Emily was a poor
girl and was wearing rags and clogs that were much too big for her feet. Right
now she was watching children, her own age, walking down the streets happily
with their parents. That was torture for Emily; her mother had died when she
was a little girl and her father was a different story. Emily’s father was a
mean, selfish man. He was also a drinker. Whenever Emily came home from selling
matches, he would take all her earnings and spend nearly all of it on drinks.
The most horrible thing was that he would always beat Emily if she didn’t sell
any matches. So he never showered Emily with love and kindness. Apart from her
mother, Emily also only received love and kindness from her grandmother, who
was Emily’s mother’s mother. Emily missed them very much and always wished that
they were still alive.
Emily’s only
comfort now was a Christmas fairy that she had found last Christmas. It had
been abandoned in the street, so Emily kept it for herself.
One Christmas Eve,
Emily was in the street selling matches. Her father had told her to not come
home, until all the matches had been sold. Emily didn’t like selling matches in
winter, but she never dared to disobey her father. It was snowing and very
cold. Emily had her Christmas fairy with her for company. Emily did the best
she could, but no one wanted to buy her matches. Soon it was dark and everyone
had gone home, except Emily. “Oh Christmas fairy,” she whimpered “I don’t know
what to do. I’m not allowed to go home and I haven’t sold a single match stick”.
All Emily could do
now was try to find some shelter for the night. Luckily there was shelter for
her that night. In the city there was a church. Normally the church doors was
closed and locked up at night. But tonight they were left open. Emily ran into
the church at once. “I do hope the priest won’t mind me taking shelter here”
she said. She lay down on the floor in front of where a picture of an angel was
hung. “I pray the angels will protect me tonight” Emily whispered and fell
asleep, clutching to her Christmas fairy.
When midnight
struck a big surprise awaited Emily. Her Christmas fairy sprung to life and
woke her up. Emily couldn’t believe her eyes that her Christmas fairy was
alive. Then she remembered a story her grandmother once told her. The story was
that it is said that Christmas fairies come to life during the night between
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the morning. “Grandma’s story was true”
smiled Emily.
Suddenly a bright
light shone through the church windows and then more Christmas fairies
appeared. All the Christmas fairies picked up Emily and brought her into the
light. When the light faded Emily saw herself in some sort of castle. “Where am
I?” she said. “You are in the castle of Christmas” said a voice. A woman in a
white dress, with wings and long golden hair, appeared. “Welcome child,” she
said “I am the angel of Christmas. And you are in my castle”. The angel
explained that during the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the
morning she would bring the Christmas fairies to life. And if a little boy and
girl had been good, kind and caring during the year, they would be invited to
spend the night at the castle of Christmas. “And you Emily have been invited
here too”. Emily was surprised, but very happy.
The Christmas
angel led Emily into a big room. And in the room were a hundred boys and girls.
Emily ran over to join and play with them. Then suddenly a big long table
magically appeared and on there was lots of food. There was lots of turkey,
potatoes, soup, meat pies, bread with butter and cheese, Christmas puddings and
cakes, nuts, fruit, candies, cookies and glasses full of milk to drink. Emily
couldn’t stop eating; she had never eaten good food, ever since her grandmother
died. Mostly she had only eaten bread and cold soup, since her father kept on
spending money on cheap wine.
After the meal was
finished, Christmas presents magically appeared for the children. The presents
turned out to be toys, books and new clothes. Emily got a new dress with shoes
and even a coat with gloves, scarf and a warm hat and she changed into them at
once. She also got some books and two dolls and two teddy bears. Emily couldn’t
stop smiling; this night was the best Christmas night she ever had in life.
After all the
presents were opened, the Christmas fairies started to play music and the
Christmas angel started to sing Christmas carols. The children, including
Emily, joined in too. Next there were candles to light. The candles were for
the children to make a Christmas wish. The Christmas fairies presented a basket
of matches to the Christmas angel. The basket of matches was really Emily’s.
Emily became worried; if her matches were used and she got no money for it, her
father would beat her. The Christmas angel smiled at Emily to let her know
everything would be all right. The Christmas fairies lit the candles with the
matches, and then the children closed their eyes and made their Christmas
wishes. Emily’s wish was that she would be able to live in happiness for the
rest of her life.
Soon it was time
for the children to go home. The Christmas fairies took the children back to
where they came from. Before Emily went back to the church, the Christmas angel
gave her one more Christmas gift. She handed Emily the basket she was carrying.
Of course all the matches were gone. But inside the basket was a small pile of
shillings. “This is for in exchange for your matches”. Emily was grateful and
thanked the Christmas angel with all her heart. Then her Christmas fairy picked
her up and took her back to the church through the light.
It was Christmas
Day by the time the Christmas fairy brought Emily back to the church. When
Emily saw that she was back at the church, she feared it had all been a dream.
But she saw that she was still wearing the clothes that she got for a present.
And her new books, dolls and teddy bears were also with her. She also saw the
small pile of shillings in her basket. “It wasn’t a dream” she said happily.
Emily placed her gifts and Christmas fairy into her basket and decided to set
off for home. “I hope father will be happy with all these shillings”. No one
was in the church yet, so no one had realized that she had taken shelter there.
Emily and her
father lived in a small disrepair house. The windows were broken and there were
empty bottles everywhere on the floor. Her father had never bothered to clean
up or fix the house. Emily was almost at the house, when she saw some people
outside her house. “What’s going on?” she asked “this is my house”. When the
small group of people saw her, a man walked up to her. “Do you know the man,
who lives here?” he asked. “Yes sir,” said Emily “he’s my father”. The man
sighed and told her what was happening. Apparently Emily’s father had died in
his sleep. His drinking problem had made him very sick and the bitter cold of winter
had made it worse. Emily told the man everything about her father; his drinking
problem, making her sell matches in all sorts of weather, him spending all the
money she ever earned on drinks, how he beat her and never giving her any love.
“And last night, he told me to not come home until all the matches were sold,
so I took shelter last night in the church”. The small group of people was
outraged. “How could he do that to his own daughter?” a woman said. “He won’t
be in heaven that’s for sure” said a man. “His death is his own fault” said
another woman. “At least the little girl is free from him now” said another
man.
Of course Emily
was saddened of being an orphan. But not long after her father’s death, she was
adopted. The family, who adopted her, was a rich couple and they raised Emily
with love and kindness. Emily became happier than she ever thought she would be
in life. ‘My Christmas wish came true’ she thought. Apart from always keeping
the dolls, books and teddy bears she received from the Christmas angel, she
always kept her Christmas fairy as well. That way she would always remember
that magical Christmas night with the Christmas angel and fairies.
