It was the last night of the year. It had snowed, and it was very cold outside. Now it was nearly dark. In the cold and dark walked a poor little girl. She had no hat. She had no shoes. When she left home, she had shoes. They were very large. They had been her mother's. But she had run across the street to avoid a fast horse. The shoes were so big, they fell off as she ran. Another child had found one shoe. He ran off with it. She couldn't find the other. So the little girl walked on with her tiny, naked feet. They were quite red and numb from cold.