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The Little Match Boy |
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There was a little boy whose father died in World War II. He and his mother
relied on each other, but tragedy struck again when his mother passed away. His
only hope was to seek refuge with his aunt, but she refused to take him in. He
had to make a living by selling matches.
On a cold winter night, he wore shabby clothes and went out to sell matches. He
asked every passerby, "Sir, would you like to buy some matches? Please buy a
box!" But every single person turned him down.
A man rode by on his bicycle, and the little boy was so frightened that he ran
to the roadside and lost one of his shoes in the middle of the road. One shoe
was flattened by a carriage, and the other was kicked around like a ball by
another little boy. The little boy went to confront him, but was beaten by his
father.
"Fresh fruit for sale! Come and buy some fresh fruit!" shouted a fruit vendor.
"Big news, big news! Today's big news! One yuan per copy, one yuan per copy!"
cried a newspaper vendor. But nobody came to buy the little boy's matches.
A father and daughter walked past the little boy. The father had no expression
on his face, but the little girl blinked innocently and asked, "Daddy, why is
this brother wearing so little? He looks cold and hungry. Can I give him my
windbreaker? I have plenty of clothes..."
The father snapped, "Mind your own business, and be careful that his dirty hands
don't ruin our clothes."
Witnessing this scene, the little boy couldn't bear the cold and hunger any
longer. He leaned against a wall and slid down.
He struck a match, and it lit up, giving off a bright light. But it soon went
out. He struck another match, and it lit up again, shining brightly. But it too
went out quickly.
He struck match after match until he couldn't go on any longer. In the end, with
a smile on his face, he walked towards his mother. |
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