The Candle in the Forest by Maud Van Buren
The Small Girl and her mother prepare a modest beefsteak pie for Christmas, imaginatively calling its onions silver, its carrots gold, and its potatoes ivory. Their Next-Door-Neighbor, who is also their landlady, scorns this playfulness and demands the rent, but the mother explains that content means making the best of what God gives. Though she has saved for a doll, she gives the money to the landlady, since the Small Girl’s father has been ill and the family is poor. The Small Girl dreams of a pink-dressed doll, while her mother turns the idea of a chocolate mouse into an enchanting game based on old rhymes. The child decides that Pussy-Purr-up, their great black cat, is worth more than any radio. After putting her daughter to bed, the mother pays the rent at the neighboring mansion, where preparations for an immense Christmas dinner expose the household’s anger and unhappiness. The landlady quarrels with her daughter-in-law, and the mother overhears a father and son accusing one another of selfishness and injustice. The Boy-Next-Door shows the mother a magnificent tree, laden with lights, ornaments, and toys, including a pink doll. Although she longs to take the doll for her child, she speaks to the boy of the greater wonder of seeing a tree unexpectedly, after being led in blindfolded. She invites him to visit her family’s tree early the next morning. Returning home, she tells her husband that the rich house, despite its abundance, contains hatred, deceit, and bitterness, while their little house contains love, faith, and courage. That night, the parents make popcorn balls, nut candy, paper fairies, and prepare a long red candle for a tree in the woods. They also place a chocolate mouse on the clock for the Small Girl. On Christmas morning, the Boy-Next-Door joins them. He is delighted by their loving play with the chocolate mouse, their breakfast, their prayer, and their warmth toward one another. The family leads him through the wood with music from the father’s flute until they reach a small living tree decorated with snowy popcorn balls and red paper fairies. Its sole light is the red candle. The boy feels the sacred warmth of being included in the family’s affection. When he returns home, he finds the neighboring household in disorder: the daughter-in-law, her husband, and their little girl have left, reducing the Christmas guests from twelve to nine. Remembering the family’s gift of a small flute and the warmth of their celebration, he asks for the pink doll so that he may give it to the Small Girl. His mother reluctantly agrees. The boy brings the doll to the little house just as the family sits down to its beefsteak pie. The Small Girl receives exactly the doll she had wished for, and the boy, moved by the mother’s gratitude and kiss, asks if he may sometimes be her boy. She welcomes him. The story closes with the mother and family rejoicing in their humble Christmas meal, where the onions remain silver, the carrots gold, and the potatoes ivory.
By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Children's Literature, Christmas Fiction, Domestic Fiction · 6,475 words
First lines
_Temple Bailey_
The Small Girl's mother was saying, "The onions will be silver, and the / carrots will be gold -- "[1]
What this Textopian page supports
The Candle in the Forest is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Maud Van Buren
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Christmas Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Sentimental Fiction, Fairy Tale
- Length: 6,475 words
- Structure: 1 section, 195 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Candle in the Forest by Maud Van Buren
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The story centers on a 'Small Girl' protagonist and employs whimsical narrative elements, moral lessons, and fairy-tale qualities designed to appeal to and instruct young readers.
- Christmas Fiction — Christmas Day forms the narrative anchor and thematic core, with the story exploring Christmas gifts, family celebration, and the spiritual meaning of the holiday.
- Domestic Fiction — The work focuses intensely on family relationships, household life, and the intimate dynamics between parents and child within their modest home.
- Sentimental Fiction — The narrative employs emotionally evocative language and situations designed to move the reader, emphasizing tender moments and emotional resonance throughout.
Tags
children's literature · historical fiction · adventure · wilderness · forest setting · frontier life · coming of age · young protagonists · family · courage · survival · nature