[Cover Title] PAULINE AND THE MATCHES by [Hoffmann, Heinrich] - 1885

1885. Soft Cover. Very Good binding. [8] pp., illus. As issued, printed on linen. Light fraying to the edges, but largely well preserved. Light soiling and toning throughout, but a very presentable copy. It is difficult to tell as this Hoffmann's tale has been reprinted frequently, but it is possible that this copy is missing a wrapper that may have had publication information. Nevertheless, an an uncommon edition of Hoffmann's tale of a girl who played with matches, heedless of her cats' insistence that she shouldn't, "You'll burn to death, if you do so, / Your parents have forbid, you know." (Spoiler alert) Against all odds, her apron string catches and while her cats raise the alarm as best they can, poor Pauline is consumed in flames and in moments nothing but ash and her red shoes remains. While the tale has a strange charm(?), the charm of this multicolored printing on linen is something else entirely. The lyrics on the lower half of the page and a colored illustrations grace the top. Printed in black, yellow, green, blue, and red, Pauline's accidental self-immolation is caution to any youngster against playing with matches.