Deep in a box, a little candle woke up. It was a very fine candle, made of smooth, white tallow. "Oh, I am so clean and new!" it thought. "Much better than those old, dusty candles I saw in the shop."

Soon, a hand picked up the candle. It was placed in a shiny, silver candlestick. "Wow!" the candle thought. "This is a very important place. I must look my best." It stood tall and proud.

Next to the candlestick was a funny-looking wooden box. And beside that, a rough, grey stone.
"Hello," said the candle, trying to sound grand. "Who are you?"
"I am the Tinderbox," said the wooden box in a creaky voice. "And this is my friend, Flint."
"We are here to help you," said the Flint, its voice a bit scratchy.

"Help me?" asked the candle. "I don't need help. I am perfect just as I am."
The Tinderbox chuckled. "Oh, little candle, you are lovely. But your real job hasn't started yet."
"My job?"
"Yes," said the Tinderbox. "We are going to light you."
The candle shivered a little. "Light me? But... won't that make me melt? Won't I disappear?"

"Yes, you will melt, little by little," said the Tinderbox gently. "But when you are lit, you will shine! You will give light to the whole room. People will see beautiful things because of you. You will be warm and bright. That is your true purpose. It's much better than just sitting here looking pretty."

The candle thought about this. It was a little scared, but also a little excited.
Soon, someone came. *Strike!* The Flint hit a piece of steel that was with the Tinderbox. A spark flew out! *Poof!* A tiny flame appeared on a small piece of tinder from the box.
Then, the flame touched the candle's wick.

At first, the candle felt a little hot. Then, a bright, warm light burst from its top!
"Wow!" whispered the candle, though it couldn't really talk anymore. It just shone.
It saw the room fill with a soft, golden glow. It saw happy faces reading books and playing games by its light.

The candle melted slowly, but it didn't mind. It was so happy! It understood now. Giving light, even if it meant getting smaller, was the best thing a candle could do. It shone and shone, making the world a little brighter, until it was all used up, happy to have done its job so well.

1299 Views