Drama: The Little Match Girl

The Little Match Girl

By Farhan Syafiq

Based on Hans Christian Andersen

Narrator                     : This is a story that happened long, long ago. There was a poor family that lived in a tiny hut not far from a city. It was winter evening on a last day of the year, when the girl of the poor family was sent out to sell matches. The snow was falling and it’s almost dark

Father                         : Hurry up! It’s time for you to sell matches.

Little Match Girl        : I’m so hungry! Can I have a loaf of bread?

Father                         : There’s no food left. Take the matches and sell them. Then we can buy some bread!

Little Match Girl        : But I have no shoes or slippers to wear in the snow.

Father                         : Here, wear your mother’s (hands her slippers), she’s still asleep.

(The Little Match Girl puts on the slippers. Her father hands her the matches which she takes and puts into her basket.)

Little Match Girl        : Thank you Father.

Father                         : Don’t come home until you sell them all. Do you understand?

Little Match Girl        : Yes Father. Goodbye.

Narrator                     : In the cold and the darkness the poor little girl walked bareheaded through the falling snow. She had no coat and no hat. Two boys suddenly ran roughly past her. The Little Match Girl was knocked to the ground, her slippers lost, and her matches spilled all around.

Little March Girl        : Oh no! My slippers! Where are they?

Little Boy 1                 : What are you looking for?

Little Match Girl        : I lost my slippers, please help me find them!

Little Boy 2                 : Hmmm let me see….. Do you mean these slippers?

Little Match Girl        : Yes, that’s the one. Thank you so much!

Little Boy 1                 : Not so fast … Now they belong to us. See you!

Little Match Girl        : Please no!

Narrator                     : The boys ran away down the city street with her slippers. The Little Match girl then stood up in the middle of the street holding out her matches.

(People walking pass by.)

Little Match Girl        : Matches, matches, would you like to buy matches?

Narrator                     : She held the matches out to each person as they passed. But, they turned their head away from her. She turned to hold them out to the next person who passed her.

(A well-dressed woman and a girl carrying her doll walk down the street.)

Woman                      : So, do you like your present my darling?

Girl                              : I love it mom, it’s so pretty.

Little Match Girl        : Matches ma’am? Would you like to buy some matches?

Woman                      : We don’t need matches. Get away from us.

(They push the Little Match Girl)

Girl                              : She’s so dirty.

Woman                      : I know darling. Let’s go.

Girl                              : (looks back at the Little Match Girl) Look at her dress, mother, it’s so old and she isn’t wearing any shoes.

Little Match Girl        : (Following the woman and child) Please buy some matches. They’re only a penny.

Woman                      : Get away from us. (Pulling child by the hand)

Narrator                     : The Little Match Girl trembled with cold. Fewer people passed her as she held out matches to them.

Little Match Girl        : Matches, matches! Would you like some matches?

Young woman           : Get away from me!

Little Match Girl        : Sir, Sir… please… would you like to buy some matches? They are magical, you know. When you light one, all your wishes come true.

Man                            : Bah, nonsense! Those are fairy tales. Get away from me.

Little Match Girl        : Please, sir, please buy one… its light will give you the most wonderful New Year.

Man                            : I told you, I don’t need any matches today. Why don’t you go home? It’s a cold night.

Little Match Girl        : I can’t sir, my father told me not to go home until I sell them all.

Man                            : I’m sorry, I don’t need matches.

(The man walks away. The little girl is alone. She sits down in the corner of the street near the street lamp.)

Narrator                     : Nobody had bought anything from the little girl; no one had given her a single penny. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger. What a poor little girl. The flakes of snow covered her hair. From behind the windows the candles glowed. Delicious smells of roasted goose blew through the night air because it was a night before New Year. The Little Match Girl grew colder and colder but she wasn’t brave enough to go home because she had not sold any matches and could not bring home even a single penny.

Little Match Girl        : Oh, I wish I could cover myself with something. My hands and feet are so cold!

(She looks at the matches then puts them down. She looks at them again.)

Little Match Girl        : I will light just one of my matches to warm my fingers a little.

(The little girl strikes a match on the brick wall.)

Little Match Girl        : I feel warm now. Oh, what a wonderful light. What is that, over there? It’s a fire. My feet and hands feel so warm.

Narrator                     : The fire was warm, as warm as a stove. It was a wonderful light. As she held her hands over the flame it seemed to the little girl that she was dancing in front of a blazing fire. It seemed that the fire warmed her and the little girl stretched out her arms towards the fire. But then, the flame from the little match went out.

(Little Match Girl shivers with cold and looks at burnt out match.)

Narrator                     : The fire vanished. All that was left was a burnt out match in her hand. The little girl was so cold. She struck another match against the wall: it burned brightly. Its flame lit up a window. Inside she could see a table.

Little Match Girl        : Ah, the fire died out. Brrr…. I feel cold again, I better light up another match. (Light up a match) Is……..is that a window? Oh I can see the inside! Wow look at that table, what a beautiful white tablecloth, and those tableware look expensive too.

(The steaming roasted goose is served)

Little Match Girl        : (sniff) oh what a delicious smell. Is that roasted goose? It looks delicious and buttery. I wish I can eat that goose.

Narrator                     : Not long after that, the fire disappeared again.

 (Little Match Girl shivers and looks at burnt out match.)

Narrator                     : The table and the wonderful food vanished. All that was left was a burnt out match in her hand. The little girl was so cold. She took another match and struck it against the wall: it burned brightly. In the next window the little girl could see a beautiful Christmas tree.

Little Match Girl        : Oh, what a wonderful Christmas tree. The lights are as bright as stars! Look at how many gifts are there, those children look happy too. Oh I wish I can join them.

Narrator                     : Soon the flame from the little match went out. The Christmas tree and the gifts, and the children vanished.

(Little match girl shivers with cold and looks at burnt out match.)

Narrator                     : The lights that the little girl had seen on the Christmas tree seemed to rise up into the sky higher and higher. She saw them now as stars in the sky. One fell down and formed a long trail of fire.

Little Match Girl        : Oh, there’s a star falling and it’s leaving behind it a bright line of fire. Someone is going to heaven!

(Little Match Girl, shivering with cold, moves to sit under street lamp.)

Little Match Girl        : The falling star….. It reminded me of my grandmother. She was the only person who treated me with love, unlike my parents. Before she died, grandmother told me that when a star falls, a soul ascends to heaven.

Narrator                     : The little girl struck another match against the wall: it was again bright, and in the light there stood the grandmother, so bright and lustrous and with such an expression of love.

(Little Match Girl strikes her last match. Grandmother appears illuminated in shadow. The Little Match Girl moves towards her.)

Little Match Girl        : Grandmother? Is that you grandmother? Oh grandmother, please, take me with you, I know you will go away when the match burns out. You will vanish like the warm fire, the roasted goose, and the glorious Christmas tree. (Match goes out)

(With her life wanes away in the freezing winter, she lies down and sleeps. The Grandmother takes the Little Match Girl’s hand)

Narrator                     : The grandmother took the girl and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, where there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety.

Narrator                     : The cold continued through the night. Eventually morning came and light shone over the cold hard snow. People came out of their warm houses wrapped in their hats and cloaks.

(People notice the Little Match Girl frozen to death. They stop and surround her.)

Narrator                     : In the corner of the two houses sat the little girl. She was smiling and leaning against the wall - frozen to death on the night right before New Year.

Man                            : Poor child, she froze to death… on New Year!

Young Woman           : It’s so sad… (picks up a burnt out match) she tried to warm herself with the matches.

(The people leave their lanterns around the little match girl, heads bowed, down the street. The Little Match Girl is left surrounded by lanterns in a pool of light.)