PAULINE AND THE MATCHES 1870 Complete Illustrated Download Text

Mamma and Nurse went out one day,
And left Pauline alone at play;
Around the room she gaily sprung,
Clapp'd her hands, and danced and sung.

Now, on the table close at hand,
A box of matches chanc'd to stand;
And kind Mamma and Nurse had told her,
That if she touch'd them they would scold her,

But Pauline said, "Oh, what a pity!
For, when they burn, it is so pretty!
They crackle so, and spit, and flame;
And Mamma often burns the same;
I will just light a match or two
As oft I've seen my mother do."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When Minz and Maunz, the cats, came by,
They raised their paws and began to cry,
"Meow!" they said, "me-ow, me-o!
You'll burn to death, if you do so,
Your parents have forbid, you know."

But Pauline would not take advice,
She lit a match, it was so nice!
It crackled so, and burn'd so clear,--
Exactly like the picture here.
She jumped for joy and ran about,
And was too pleas'd to put it out.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
When Minz and Maunz, the cats, saw this,
They said, "O naughty, naughty Miss!"
And stretch'd their claws,
And rais'd their paws;
"Tis very, very wrong, you know;
Me-ow, me-o, me-ow, me-o!
You will be burnt if you do so,
Your mother has forbid, you know."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Now see! oh! see, a dreadful thing!
The fire has caught her apron-string;

Her apron burns, her arms, her hair;
She burns all over, everywhere.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Then how the pussy cats did mew,
What else, poor pussies, could they do?
They scream'd for help, 'twas all in vain,
So then, they said, "We'll scream again;
Make haste, make haste! me-ow! me-o!
She'll burn to death,--we told her so."

So she was burnt with all her clothes,
And arms and hands, and eyes and nose;
Till she had nothing more to lose
Except her little scarlet shoes;
And nothing else but these was found
Among her ashes on the ground.

And when the good cats sat beside"
The smoking ashes, how they cried!
"Me-ow, me-o! Me-ow, me-o!
What will Mamma and Nursy do?
Their tears ran down their cheeks
So fast,
They made a little pond at last.

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Pauline and the Matches

Peter Prim's Series

McLaughlin Bros.,  New York 1870

Originally published as :
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem Feuerzeug
(The Dreadful Story of Pauline and the Matches)
by Heinrich Hoffmann

Looking for a book to give his son for Christmas of 1844, Heinrich Hoffman saw nothing that appealed to him, and decided to write something himself. The result was a series of stories titled Struwwelpeter, of which this tale was one. They were published in 1845. It is the story of Pauline, who not heeding her mother's advice and the warning of the family's two pet cats, chose to play with matches, thus bringing about her untimely demise.

By today's standards, Pauline and the Matches is quite gruesome, and would most likely not be read by children nor given as a gift at Christmas. Stories of this type were called cautionary tales. They served to educate and remind children of the dangers that should be avoided.

In 1870, however, circumstances were not as they are today. Though dreadful, a parent might have told a child a story such as this to protect their life, and as such may have been given as a thoughtful gesture. Certainly for a parent there is nothing more anxiety causing than even the thought of one's child's life ending far to soon, let alone it actually happening.

Fire was a very real part of life in 1870, and from clothing to homes most items were extremely flamable.. More than one third of all children died before the age of ten in 1870, from natural and preventable causes.

In the 19th century, research to discover the long-term results of children's reactions to threatening information such as this was virtually non-existent. There were not only stories with graphic words and illustrations, but also hymns about unrepentant children going to hell for eternity.

In one sense, the development and progress of a more developed and healthful society have made the imminence of death during childhood years far less of an issue. In another sense, we know the effects of threats to children's safety that last beyond the growing up years, and have developed ways to illustrate the dangers of our 21st-century society in a manner that won't result in vivid nightmares and even bedwetting from fear of danger.

Entered by Mary Katherine May, owner of www.QualityMusicandBooks.com, online and retail Christian music, books and gifts, as well as classics and collectibles, lesson music and homeschool materials.