
audiobook
In a snow‑laden night, a small orphan named Anton sets out toward a distant village, his bright red coat a splash of color against the white wilderness. The bitter cold and deep drifts soon turn his hopeful trek into a bewildering maze, and the boy finds himself lost in a dark, towering forest as night falls and a fierce wind howls around the frozen trees.
Desperate and shivering, Anton cries out to the heavens, his prayer echoing through the silent woods. Suddenly, a sweet, harp‑like chorus drifts down from the heights, filling the air with a comforting, heavenly hymn that steadies his trembling heart. Guided by the ethereal music and a flickering light, he discovers a solitary cottage, its door locked but its interior hinting at warmth and voices within, offering a glimmer of hope on this cold Christmas Eve.
Language
de
Duration
~2 hours (131K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Jens Sadowski and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.
Release date
2018-02-08
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1768–1854
A gentle priest, teacher, and storyteller, he became one of the best-known German writers for children in the 19th century. His tales were shaped by faith, kindness, and a gift for speaking to young readers without talking down to them.
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