She kindled a third match。 Again shot up the flame; and now she was sitting under a most beautiful Christmas tree ，far larger， and far more prettily decked out， than the one she had seen last Christmas eve through the glass doors of the rich merchant's house。 Hundreds of wax-tapers lighted up the green branches， and tiny painted figures， such as she had seen in the shop-windows， looked down from the tree upon her。 The child stretched out her hands towards them in delight， and in that moment the lights of the match warm quenched; still， however， the Christmas candles burned higher and higher， she beheld them beaming like stars in heaven; one of them fell， the lights streaming behind it like a long， fiery tail。
“Now some one is dying，” said the little girl， softly， for she had been told by her old grandmother， the only person who had ever been kind to her， and who was now dead that whenever a star falls an immortal spirit returns to the God who gave it。
She struck yet another match against the wall; it flamed up， and surrounded by its light， appeared before her that same dear grandmother， gentle and loving as always， but bright and happy as she had never looked during her lifetime。
她擦着了第三根火柴，又冒出了火焰。此刻她觉得正坐在十分美丽的圣诞树下方，比上次圣诞节透过那富商家的玻璃门看到的那株还要大、还要美。这株树的绿枝上点燃着许许多多的蜡烛，颜色瑰丽的图画，就象橱窗里挂着的那些一样漂亮，仿佛在向她眨眼。小姑娘把两只手伸过去，火柴又熄灭了。然而圣诞树上的烛光越升越高。她看到它们变成了明亮的星星，有一颗落下来，在天上划出一道长长的火丝。
“此刻又有一个什么人死了。”小姑娘说。因为她的老祖母——一个唯一待她好的人，此刻已经死了，以前告诉过她，天上落下一颗星，地上就有一个灵魂回到曾赋于他生命的上帝那里去。
她在墙上又擦了一根火柴，火光把四周照亮了。在亮光里，亲爱的和生前一样的祖母出现了。她依然是那么的慈爱和温和，然而那快活和幸福的样貌却是她生前从未有过的