This is a story that was told to me when I was in class 1, way back in 1992, by our Class Teacher-Mrs. Umarani Rao. A majority of my childhood memories have faded but this story still remains fresh in my mind. This story always stays with me and that story is as follows:-
Once upon a time in a village in a faraway land lived a 9 year old girl called Elia. Her mother had died during her childbirth and her father hated her because he wanted a boy and not a girl. Elia's father forced her to sell matchsticks and bring him money. The poor little girl was too afraid of her father to protest. Every day in the evenings she used to walk down the lanes and by lanes of her village selling matchsticks. her father never gave her adequate food and all she had was a twisted and soiled doll to play, which she had found in a dust bin.
Then the winter came and she didn't have any warm clothes and she shivered in the biting cold. Whenever she saw children of her age wrapped in warm clothes, she too would long for those kind of clothes.
One night as usual her father sent her out to sell matchsticks and bring him some money. It was snowing outside and that poor girl was shivering so badly that she could hardly walk. She was very hungry and had not eaten since morning. Since it was snowing heavily, there was no one on the streets. She clutched the matchsticks in her hand and sat down in the corner of the street. She lighted one of the matchstick to feel some warmth. As she lit the matchstick, she saw a big table full of mouth watering dishes, ice-creams, cakes, juices, fruits etc. Then all of a sudden her matchstick went off.
She lighted another matchstick and the moment that matchstick was lighted, she saw a big house, full of green trees, a beautiful park outside, cars, swimming pool etc. Then again the matchstick went off. She kept on lighting one matchstick after another and every time she saw beautiful things. The things she always longed for but could never get them. And now she was left with only one matchstick.
She lighted the last matchstick left with her and she saw a lady wearing a golden crown slowly coming towards her. When that lady came near to her, she exclaimed,
"Mummy!!!!!".
The lady smiled at her and came close to her. Elia started crying and said,
"Please Mummy, don't leave me and go away like other things. I want to be with you always."
The lady came to Elia, wrapped her in her arms and began to fly towards the sky. Elia was very happy. She was flying with her mother amongst the stars. Suddenly her old clothes were changed into a beautiful dress. She was not feeling hungry anymore. Both Elia and her mother sat on a nearby star and both started talking. The talked, talked and talked.
The next day the snowfall had stopped and people came out of their houses for their daily work and they saw Elia lying in the corner of the street- Dead!!, with a lot of burnt matchsticks by her side. People thought that she had shivered to death. But they were puzzled at one thing. There was a smile on Elia's face as she lay there dead. Little did the people know what had happened to Elia in the night and now she was living happily with her mother- in the HEAVENS.
Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed telling it to you.
Once upon a time in a village in a faraway land lived a 9 year old girl called Elia. Her mother had died during her childbirth and her father hated her because he wanted a boy and not a girl. Elia's father forced her to sell matchsticks and bring him money. The poor little girl was too afraid of her father to protest. Every day in the evenings she used to walk down the lanes and by lanes of her village selling matchsticks. her father never gave her adequate food and all she had was a twisted and soiled doll to play, which she had found in a dust bin.
Then the winter came and she didn't have any warm clothes and she shivered in the biting cold. Whenever she saw children of her age wrapped in warm clothes, she too would long for those kind of clothes.
One night as usual her father sent her out to sell matchsticks and bring him some money. It was snowing outside and that poor girl was shivering so badly that she could hardly walk. She was very hungry and had not eaten since morning. Since it was snowing heavily, there was no one on the streets. She clutched the matchsticks in her hand and sat down in the corner of the street. She lighted one of the matchstick to feel some warmth. As she lit the matchstick, she saw a big table full of mouth watering dishes, ice-creams, cakes, juices, fruits etc. Then all of a sudden her matchstick went off.
She lighted another matchstick and the moment that matchstick was lighted, she saw a big house, full of green trees, a beautiful park outside, cars, swimming pool etc. Then again the matchstick went off. She kept on lighting one matchstick after another and every time she saw beautiful things. The things she always longed for but could never get them. And now she was left with only one matchstick.
She lighted the last matchstick left with her and she saw a lady wearing a golden crown slowly coming towards her. When that lady came near to her, she exclaimed,
"Mummy!!!!!".
The lady smiled at her and came close to her. Elia started crying and said,
"Please Mummy, don't leave me and go away like other things. I want to be with you always."
The lady came to Elia, wrapped her in her arms and began to fly towards the sky. Elia was very happy. She was flying with her mother amongst the stars. Suddenly her old clothes were changed into a beautiful dress. She was not feeling hungry anymore. Both Elia and her mother sat on a nearby star and both started talking. The talked, talked and talked.
The next day the snowfall had stopped and people came out of their houses for their daily work and they saw Elia lying in the corner of the street- Dead!!, with a lot of burnt matchsticks by her side. People thought that she had shivered to death. But they were puzzled at one thing. There was a smile on Elia's face as she lay there dead. Little did the people know what had happened to Elia in the night and now she was living happily with her mother- in the HEAVENS.
Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed telling it to you.
2 comments:
very touching story
nice one
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