Chapter 3

火烧得多么旺啊！小姑娘刚刚伸出她的一双脚，打算在这么好的火前暖一下的时候，哎呀！火焰忽然熄灭了！火炉也不见了。她只剩下手里捏着那烧过的火柴。

她又在墙上擦着一根火柴。火柴燃起来发出了明亮的光。墙上被火光照着的地方，忽然变得透明，象一块薄纱，小女孩可以看到房间内东西。桌上铺着雪白的台布，上面放着精致的瓷碟，还有填满梅子和苹果、冒着热气、香喷喷的烤鹅。更美妙的是这只背上插着刀叉的鹅从盘里跳了出来，摇摇摆摆地在地板上走着，一直向这个可怜的小姑娘走来。就在这时，火柴熄灭了，留在她面前的，只是一堵又厚又冷的墙。

How the fire burned! and seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.

She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where its light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see into the room. The table was covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on which stood a splendid dinner service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more wonderful, the goose jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife and fork in its *, to the little girl. Then the match went out, and there remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her.