By Subraj Singh
Hans Christian Andersen is perhaps one of the most famous writers/collectors of fairytales. His work on “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Thumbelina” and many others is universally recognized and children all over the world have grown up hearing these tales.

However, sometimes, with fiction, as with real life, the stories that are most often told are not necessarily always the only stories that deserve to be told. Because of this, there are many good stories from Andersen that are not as told as often as the popular ones, and there can be many reasons why this happens. Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl” is one such story – it is an excellent tale that does not enjoy the same amount of popular retellings as others in Andersen’s collection and yet remains enduringly important, particularly now at Christmas as this is a season that is very much associated with storytelling and fairytales.

“The Little Match Girl” is set at the end of the year, on the last night of the year, in fact. Its subject is a poor little girl who sells matches in the streets. The story tells us of how the night is freezing cold and the little girl has lost her shoes and so she is forced to wander in the cold. She contemplates going back home, but she is scared her father will whip her for being unable to sell any of the matches. Instead, she tucks herself into a little corner between two buildings and tries to keep herself warm by lighting the matches.

In the glow of the flames she experiences several visions: a well-lit Christmas tree, good food, and the person who loved her most – her grandmother. The child uses the matches to keep the flame going so she can continuing seeing the image of her grandmother. The story then takes a sorrowful turn and leads us headfirst into feelings of intense sadness and pathos.

The story is important if we are only speaking about fairytales because it addresses themes that are often absent from, but necessary to, the tales that are told to modern children. In the popular fairytales the wealthy is always featured (kings, queens, princesses, princes) or the poor often ascend to a position of affluence and power (“Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella,” etc.). However, “The Little Match Girl” is the story of a child who comes from extreme poverty and remains in poverty. The story does not hold back when it comes to presenting the circumstances of her plight and her desires, which are shockingly basic (food, warmth, love), that emerge from these circumstances.

A tale such as this might be considered too dark for children, but is it not best to present children with stories that engage their imagination (those with giants and mermaids and elves) as well as those that present real-life society and the human condition, such as “The Little Match Girl”? It is possible that there are dark fairytales that still manage to be age-appropriate and can be used to educate children on issues such as poverty, death, and desires – all of which are themes that can be found in “The Little Match Girl.”

Another essential aspect of the story is the fact, and great irony, of the story taking place in the middle of the holiday season, just after Christmas and moving into the New Year. It is supposed to be a time of joy, of warmth and plentitude, and yet, the girl in the story does not get to experience any of those things. The story, in my mind, and despite its bleak subject matter, is the ideal stories for Christmas because it forces us to not only think about ourselves but also about everyone else in the world who may not have all the things we have during the holiday season. While we feast, there will be children out there starving.

As we gather with our family and friends, there will be people with no one to hug and wish happy holidays to. When we surround ourselves with bright lights and presents, there will be people in the world who are still struggling to make ends meet. “The Little Match Girl” is important for children because it is a fairytale that represents, in the truest sense, aspects of the real world, presented through a fantasy that is borne from the story’s realism, and the story is equally important to adults who, during the year-end holidays, become blind in their celebrations to the plight of those around them. The story reminds us to feel and to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves in a season that we seem to be forgetting has always been rooted in giving and saving.