In 1669 AD, the German H. Brand extracted yellow phosphorus, and then, people used the characteristic of yellow phosphorus being extremely easy to oxidize and ignite, and then stained with sulfur on one end of the small wooden stick, and then shine and heated after rubbing with yellow phosphorus, creating a magical fire-driven tool, that is, matches.

Not long after that, I don’t know which guy who likes to tinker with yellow phosphorus instead of antimony trisulfide was added to the medicine head to make yellow phosphorus matches. This kind of matches are easy to use and are sensitive to fire. They do not need to use any special fire device at all. They only need to directly rub the fire on dry ground or on their own walls. Then, this kind of matches became popular soon and were wholesale and brought to the streets by vendors from all walks of life and were sold and retailed to those who needed to cause fire.

As for the yellow phosphorus matches that are too sensitive and can easily cause fires, and during the manufacturing and use of the highly toxic yellow phosphorus, they will seriously endanger people's health, and they will be directly ignored by people of this era.

However, in this town, there is a terrifying legend that is unknown to outsiders and that makes people here feel extremely frightened...

It is said that

Two years ago, it was the last night of the year. It was so cold that night and it was still snowing. Just like now, it was almost dark?

However, on a cold and dark night like this, a little girl with long golden hair, barefoot and thin and dirty clothes was walking aimlessly on the street...

Speaking of which, when she came out of her house, she was wearing a pair of slippers, but what's the use? Because it was a pair of very large slippers, it was so big and always worn by her mother. So, when she was crossing the road, two carriages rushed over quickly, scaring her to run away her shoes.

One of them could not be found, but the other one called a naughty little boy to pick it up and run away... There was no way, so the little girl had to walk on the snow barefoot, her little feet were frozen red and green.

‘Matches are sold…’

‘Matches are sold, who wants to buy matches? Sir, do you want to buy matches?’

There were many matches in her worn apron, and even she was holding a handful of shouting. Unfortunately, no one had bought a match for her all day, and no one had given her a copper coin!

because,

The matches she sells are already a little behind, and they are the most valuable, most flammable and highly toxic yellow phosphorus matches. People nowadays don’t like this! Moreover, there are now kerosene lighters and non-toxic safety matches. The ones she sells are outdated.

However, no one would kindly tell her about that kind of thing, just watching her sell the yellow phosphorus matches that no one would buy outside like a clown.

The night was getting darker and there were fewer pedestrians on the road, and fewer people were willing to stop or look at her.

Poor little girl, she was cold and hungry, and she walked forward tremblingly. Snowflakes fell on her long golden hair. The hair was gently curled, and together with the hairless, it began to condense into ice slags, which looked a little desolate...

But she didn't have time to pay attention to these things, and of course others wouldn't!

At this time, there were a little light coming from almost every window on both sides of the street. The street was filled with the sound of singing and laughter from the house, and the fragrant smell of roasted goose floating... Because it was New Year's Eve, Christmas Eve, she remembered that when her grandmother was still there, she had eaten the roasted goose once, and she would never forget the smell.

Finally, the cold, hungry and tired little girl had to sit down in the corner of a house, and curled up her frozen legs, barely shrank them into a ball.

The cold wind was whistling and the snowflakes were floating, and she felt even colder...

But she didn't dare to go home because she didn't sell a match and didn't make a single money. Her father would definitely beat her hard!

Besides, her house is as cold as on the street...

Because their originally warm home was snatched away by debt collectors, since her mother died of illness... and the only roof of her house now is her house. Although the biggest crack has been blocked with grass and rags, the cold wind and cold snowflakes can still be canned in. So, she didn't want to go back at all without having to sell it and couldn't buy food.

Soon, her hands almost stiffened...

At this time, even a small match could bring warmth to her, but she was a little afraid because she still needed to sell them to the one in the family who had become self-deprecating because of her mother's departure and family changes. She liked to drink heavily, and always liked to beat her father to change food.

final……

Maybe it was really too cold, she still couldn't stand the torture of the cold and biting cold on her hands, feet, head, neck and all over her body. She had to muster up the courage and trembled with a yellow phosphorus match and rubbed it on the wall. The light and flames finally warmed her frozen little hand and illuminated her dim eyes.

Since there is the first one, there will definitely be a second one and a third one next...

She could no longer resist the warmth and hope they brought to her, even if they could only give her a little warmth and a moment of light! She just listened to the laughter and the fragrant smell of roasted goose from the windows of other people's houses. Relying on the matches she had, she enjoyed the humble happiness that belonged only to her in this cold corner.

...

On that night, no one knew how many matches the little girl sold at the match had polished and what she saw in the firelight!

but,

On the morning of the next day, when the sun shone on the snow-white streets, when people started to walk on the streets in a bustling manner and welcome the new year and the new day, they saw that the little girl was still curled up at the corner of the wall, her cheeks were red, and a smile that seemed to be happy appeared on the corner of her mouth?

But unfortunately, her smile was very hard and motionless...

Because, she is dead!

——In that last night of the old year, on that Christmas Eve, I was frozen on this bone-broken street!

The sun rose in the new year, and the warm sunlight began to shine on her petite and weak body. She was still curled up like a smile, her little hands were still holding her matches tightly. One of them was almost burnt out, and some burnt was scattered at the corners of her feet, and more yellow phosphorus fires that had not yet been lit were still neatly placed in the pocket of her worn apron...

‘Ha! Look, she is dead!’

‘Yes, dead.’

'She should want to use matches to keep warm. She is so stupid. She should use matches to light a bonfire! What's the use of those matches even if they are all lit?'

‘It’s snowy outside, even if it’s a bonfire, it’s not much use. It’s better to go home early, roast the hot stove and eat the fat roast goose!’

‘There is that warm bed!’

‘Ah! That’s right, the warm bed, I slept so comfortably last night. I wish you all a Merry Christmas…’

'Merry Christmas!'

People were just talking and laughing around her, celebrating the arrival of the new year... Of course, Christmas is not the new year, but for the people here and the stubborn people on this continent, after Christmas Eve, it can be said to be the new year!

Next to those people, in the corner of the wall, the frozen match girl was still curled up there motionlessly, with a smile that only belonged to her.

only,

But no one here knows the meaning of her stiff and blushing smile on the corners of her mouth, nor does he know how beautiful and happy things she has seen in the fireworks...

However, no one cares even if they know, because that humble happiness does not mean anything to people who can stay at home and eat roasted goose on the fire, spend Christmas Eve in a warm bed, and laugh and cheer each other the next day!

This is true. For those who spent the cold winter night safely and were able to celebrate Christmas the next morning, the death of a little match girl had nothing to do with them. In addition to adding some topic of conversation to them, this matter has passed like this. Anyway, most of them think so.

However……

They never expected that not long after the little girl died, terrible things began to happen in this town since the next year?

I don’t know why, people are constantly frozen and dead on snowy nights, and in their hands, there is no exception, a match or a burned out after being lit. They smiled, were frozen and dead in the snow, and then were discovered by pedestrians in the warm sunshine the next day...

So, a terrible legend began to spread wildly in this town, saying:

On the contrary, on a cold night with snow or snow, a little girl selling matches will appear on the street. She is the little girl selling matches who was frozen to death on the streets of Christmas Eve that year!

Anyone who dares to go out and accidentally meets her will inexplicably buy one or some matches, because if you don’t buy them, you will die! And those who buy matches can’t stand the cold and ignite the matches, they will die!

Because, they will find happiness in the matches, and the matches burn their souls! The more they desire, the more happiness they see, and the more they want from the fire, they are not far from falling into hell.

The only way is to resist its temptation!

...

Of course, all of the above are speculations by people in this town about that horrible thing, and it is also a legendary version recognized by most people. As for whether it is like that, no one knows whether it is like that. Because no one can survive if he meets the little match girl!

As for whether the only solution is or not, no one has verified it.

Because, people always have desires, and no one can successfully resist the happiness that emerges from the fire... Once they light matches, they will completely fall into it until their souls are burned out and die on the streets, and are discovered in the dawn of the next day.

‘Lalala~!’

(′)

‘Hmph…’

(′`*)

However, a bad little girl didn't know the terrible legend circulating in this small town at this time. She just regarded the bakery owner's words as words to scare the children. She didn't listen to many people and didn't listen to them!

Besides, she is not an ordinary child, so she can still sing, jump, and jump on the street on the snowy night, and just run wildly and run on the snowy street step by step.

“Eh?!”

ヽ(゜Q.)ノ?

"Hey! Hello, I'll ask you something, can you..."

o(′▽｀)o =3 =3 =3

At this time, Annie suddenly saw two adults who were turning out from the street with two kerosene lamps on this deserted snowy night street. She felt it was necessary to ask the two of them for the location of the hotel, so she smiled and ran towards them quickly.

‘??’

‘Who is that?’

'like……'

‘Yes, is it a little girl?’

‘Ah! Little girl?!’

‘!!’

‘Not it, it’s that little match girl?!’

‘No way?’

‘Help!! Run!!

However, what surprised Annie was that the two of them actually shouted and threw down the kerosene windproof lamp in their hands, then turned around and ran away, not even giving her the chance to finish her words?

“…”

Σ(д)???

"It's strange, Tibers, have they recognized the wrong person? Also, what's the little match girl who sells? Why do they look foolish when they look?"

(lll￢ω￢)
To be continued...