Hogfather No Better Present

[@Dobolob576445678]

"You're not allowed to do that." "The Hogfather can, the Hogfather gives presents. There's no better present than a future..." That gets me bad.

[@Alexansu11]

A cheer 🍺 for lasting ten year.

[@lordcelticfrost8686]

That was a break point in my life...the day I watch for the first time this scene..That Day i lefth to think on myself because im single and without Kids. .. and i start to think in my nieces..Just do something to give to my nieces the best present I can give... A FUTURE..

[@Interfector0]

Yeah, I've gotta admit, I've teared up a little at that.

[@Gigas0101]

He says it with such gravity, so much weight, immediately after his silly description of the Matchstick Girl story...

[@Ahrpigi]

Brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.

[@erttheking]

Fun fact, Terry Pratchett was apparently disgusted that the end of the Little Matchstick Girl, where a homeless girl dies in the cold, is supposed to be a happy ending. So he wrote this as a way of saying "screw you, THIS is what a happy ending looks like."

[@logankean7336]

erttheking how did you find out about this, did he mention it in an interview?

[@sarafontanini7051]

and I agree, I always hated that she dies in the end, it's incredibly unfair. and if nothing else, Christmas is thee time where fairness is celebrated

[@7Seraphem7]

Less the story itself, as how people have taken it. Hans Christian Anderson... had issues, he dealt with depression a LOT, and this story never was really meant to be seen as a 'happy' ending at the time, just showing how cold, uncaring and merciless the world can be. The issue is all the people that looked at that and saw it as not being that at all, oh yeah, this was Pratchett essentially saying 'Screw THAT!' to.

[@commandermcnash5137]

Back in the age when The Little Match Girl was written child mortality was at over 40%. And lo this, our own most misserable, cynic, contaminating, greedy, corrupt, vain, dehumanizing, narcisistic and materialistic age, an age of weak willed humans with no wish of dying for ideals, oh no, what a terrible age we live in, with a 3.4% of mortality rate, oh no, because charlatans, tabloids and demagogues tell you everything is so wrong, nevermind we now live twice as much as our ancestors from 3 centuries ago, nevermind we have virtually neutralized AIDS when back in the middle ages the most advanced nations of the world couldn't defend themselves against the Black Plague, nevermind people now have more risk of dying from obesity than all forms of violence combined. It may or may not be because some people decided that there is no better present than a future.

[@BloodyBay]

Andersen's stories are a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to endings. On one hand, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling, The Swineherd and The Wild Swans all have happy endings. On the other hand, the endings for The Little Mermaid, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Red Shoes, The Fir Tree and, yes, The Little Match Girl? They're all pretty damned bleak. (The jury's still out on Thumbelina's ending. It's great for Thumbelina, but pretty crappy for the bluebird.)

[@ashleightompkins3200]

You have to love how he's not even breaking the rules. He's bending them just enough to do something kind. Because remember, he's not Death here, he's the Hogfather. You gotta love loopholes

[@vksasdgaming9472]

"What hope does the harvest have, if not for the care of The Reaper Man? "

[@RequiemPoete]

"Fuck this shit. I'm Santa Claus tonight, bitch. Imma run this poor girl's hourglass backwards."

[@hannesmayer3716]

In a way, he is still Death, and that is the loophole. See, life might not be fair, and this shows on Christmas/Hogswatch, as Alberts points out later in the story. But that's life, and he is...

[@hellacoorinna9995]

Baby don't Fear the Reaper.

[@crystaltriforce64]

even in other diskworld books death bent rules as much as he could, like the time someone challenged him to a game of cards for a person's life and he claimed his winning hand lost because he refused to accept the aces he drew as anything other then ones

[@ApetureTestSubject]

I love how, in the book, Albert starts explaining why it works this way, Match Girls dying in the snow, but even he starts to doubt it when he says it out loud, realising how bleak that is. And then he throws snowballs at the angels who arrived for the Match Girl until they leave.

[@SirMarshalHaig]

An old cynic who gets a fresh view on life...from Death

[@Morhek]

Imagine how much joy it must have given Death to save this girl. For millions of years, he's had to watch, unable to interfere except under very specific and exceptional circumstances. He's had to watch, impassively, life after life, regardless of how or why they've died. He's had to see horrible atrocities and tragedies and unfairness. But on this one night, during the one time of year when the rules are bent so far back they'd almost snap, he finally gets to stop being Death for a night and give life back to someone because they didn't deserve to die. Death has a perfect memory. He can remember this moment for eternity. One perfect, sublime moment for the Grim Reaper.

[@adampage593]

Perfect memory is literally an understatement, he remembers everything as if it was only tomorrow

[@thestranger954]

Only Terry Pratchett could make the Grimm Reaper a little less grimm.

[@mossyabyss]

Not wholly perfect, he did forget how to be drunk.

[@mazz9487]

He could've been remembering his daughter in hindsight.

[@greatorder]

In the book he mentions how he enjoys having people look forward to seeing him, because nobody does except under "special and unfortunate circumstances"

[@weldonwin]

Only in the Discworld, can Death, the ultimate absolute of a harsh, cold uncaring universe, look down at a tiny, frozen body in the streets and think "This isn't fair" and then once, just once in the whole of creation, break the rules to bring even a small measure of justice and mercy, to give an innocent the chance to have a future.

[@gabethedragon]

He does it about 3 or 4 more times in the series, actually. If your wondering why not more, blame the auditors of reality

[@RequiemPoete]

Well only on Discord can Death find himself pretending to be Santa Claus.

[@spyrofan9681]

Death knows where all the loop holes are.

[@JoshSweetvale]

Death doesn't cheat. Death follows the rules very carefully. :D

[@bacul165]

Do you know The Bookthief? Death is the narrator there... (I recommend the audio book, read by Chris eccleston!)

[@tzisorey]

Gandalf: "There are many that are dead, who deserve life. Can you give it to them?" -Death- Hogsfather: YES.

[@fairytaleandfablebooks]

Death/Hogsfather voiced by Christopher Lee, nicely done there!

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

Pity they didn't include the bit where a couple of highly affronted angels show up (late) to collect the matchgirl and Albert chucks snowballs at them until they leave.

[@connordarvall8482]

THANK YOU.

[@lrc3847]

ArcaneAzmadi That would be epic to watch. Making a memorable scene to a undisputed legendary one.

[@commanderkruge]

Indeed. I mean, the scene is quite beautiful in itself - it always is when Death lets shine through that, indeed, he does care and even knows how to break the rules once in a while, because it's the right thing to do. But that final act of giving the "good" angels a righteous whack around the ears - and be it just with snowballs - is the cherry on top. Of course in the book it's just a throwaway sentence, but in the movie you would have had to explain a little bit more, so the people who didn't read the book would understand... I guess something like Albert saying "And here come the 'good' (said so you could hear the quotation marks) angels to take her away to the afterlife... Hey! Bugger off, you vultures!" would have done the trick nicely. On the same topic - I had the original story of the matchstick girl as a record when I was a kid - you know, stoneage audiobooks! But I'm amazed that it took me until reading Hogfather about 15 years later to realize this is a really really disturbing piece of storywriting, once you really think about it, and it's definitely not the same stuff as, say, the Grimm's fairy tales... I mean, sure, they are often brutal and bloody, but more often than not the recipient of that violence is the villain in the end of the tale. It's people who DESERVE to be torn in half or forced to dance themselves to death in red hot shoes made of iron, like the evil stepmother in the end of the un-disneyfied Cinderella. But they're NEVER about an innocent little girl horribly freezing to death while trying to stay warm by burning single matches and hallucinating... Now THAT is REALLY horrible!

[@dyingearth]

Technically DEATH is supposed to only show up for Wizards/Witches and important persons. But in his capacity as Hogfather, he can be everywhere.

[@lordcelticfrost8686]

What...really?

[@SirCraigius]

"There's no better present... than a future" Powerful words.

[@lordcelticfrost8686]

SirCraigius yes....one of the most... inspirants and powefull words on the whole world

[@jarrodwraight9971]

I am ever so grateful that they got Death's "voice" right. That fade in when he "speaks" fits the book lore that he alters reality instead of actually speaking.

[@RequiemPoete]

Jarrod Wraight: Makes sense as he lacks any and all apparatus of speech.

[@DW_Death]

It definitely sounds like an echo in reverse, before the speech starts. It literally sounds like it's void of life/living in the present. That, together with the deep stern booming voice that demands respect and subjugation makes a perfect voice for an ethereal being...

[@Gigas0101]

I think I recall his voice being compared to "tombstones crashing down" in Wizard's First Rule, though it's been years since I read it...

[@Daniel-rd6st]

To me thats the most iconic scene of Death. I think it even hits a bit harder in the book. In the book Death feels a pull towards the child and only when he arrives he realizes, that he was called not in his (borrowed) aspect of Hogfather, but as Death. And he was devastated because he had grown fond of bringing presents and happiness (well doing his best at least 🙂 ), he really struggled at times with his "job" as death. And then he realized that this one time he had a choice, not to take life, but to give. He bend the rules quite a bit there, because i doubt, that the Hogfather could actually mess with Deaths domain, but in this special case he could because he was both. I really need to reread my discworld novels 🙂

[@darkwatershadow]

Death is really good in this but big props to the guy playing Albert. Something about the way he reads that line "you're not allowed to do that" it's perfect. It really makes this scene work for me.

[@callumn2111]

David Jason is a national treasure

[@vksasdgaming9472]

They really should have cast Sir Christopher Lee as Death's voice. It would have had even more authority in it.

[@jay18001]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Christopher lee voiced death in the colour of magic and I actually prefer Ian Richardson, his voice is less sinister and more wise. Which I think suits Death in the books a lot better

[@Geth-Who]

THIS. The hushed awe in his voice, with a little bit of fear.

[@ceruleanwalker1069]

This is the ending I wish happened with the Little Match girl. I only recently realised the subtle commentary here. Constable Visit is omnian, he's always handing out pamphlets and badgering people to save their souls, but when he is given a hungry child he acts affronted. Nobby on the other hand is a small time theif who can make a melon go rusty, yet he immedietly is prepared to help the straving girl because he was shown kindness earlier.

[@vubhuhjkbhubohjb]

Thank you, learn something new everyday.

[@desmondmolloy9173]

As Sam Vimes once pointed out, you’d be daft to trust him with a dollar, but he’s not a fundamentally bad person.

[@Geth-Who]

It's a decent axiom - if you need to find someone kind, look for the person who knows how painful hunger can be.

[@hansolo235]

*thief

[@Sushewakka]

What can the harvest hope for, if not the care of the Reaper Man?

[@cristianrios8804]

Jose Luis Dominguez this phrase always Brings tears to my eyes

[@otakon17]

YES.

[@felixfarside1210]

There's something in my eye... Oh. It's tears.

[@RequiemPoete]

Felix Farside: No they aren't my friend. You simply have an infestation of Onion Ninjas.

[@RoughThief]

Yeah, no matter how many times I see this scene.

[@joesplace2960]

Me too buddy. Me too.

[@jlensher]

it's the quiet awe in his voice when he says "You're not allowed to do that..." that does it for me

[@JamesTobiasStewart]

He just witnessed his Master performing an act that really should be impossible. Something that in any other circumstances would have the Auditors howling and risk the displeasure of AZRAEL. But just for this one night, Death is doing it anyway.

[@HikaruHikariKage]

This scene just cements how wonderful Death is. TV Tropes makes it sad again by suggesting this is what Death wishes he could do, instead of his other job. :(

[@ariandynas]

Death, the finest surgeon for the mortally injured, the greatest comfort of the dying, the kindest of doctors, the reaper man who cares for his crop.

[@electricbayonet2]

Frankly, this general characterization of Death has a lot more meaning (and history) to it than people think. Pause a minute to consider that name: the Grim Reaper. If the 'Reaper' part was meant to be ominous, why would it need 'Grim'? It'd be like the 'Angry Berzerker' or the 'Evil Villain.' He's grim because of *what* he has to harvest, not because of how he does it. He's the Reaper, not the Collector. After all... "What can the harvest hope for, if not the care of the Reaper Man?"

[@thebluedragon07]

This is how I always picture death when I came across Discworld. And if you pay attention he gives hints about his nature. Like in the Colour of Magic, when he was summoned, they asked why the turtle was moving towards the Star, he replies "it's for a matter that has nothing to do with me". Death is about claiming the dead souls, he's not about life he respects his nature. And in this, when takes on the role of the Hogfather, he took the role literally, but sometimes his other nature seeps in. Like in the cottage when he was talking to Albert about how people get certain gifts due to their status in life, he exclaims when Albert said "That's life" about how unfair it is "But I'm not" It's in his nature to always be fair to everyone, for in his role as Death, he comes after everyone and treats them all fairly and with respect.

[@craigdavidson4378]

“ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST. IF WE DO NOT EXIST, THEN THERE IS NOTHING BUT BLIND OBLIVION. AND EVEN OBLIVION MUST END SOMEDAY. LORD, WILL YOU GRANT ME JUST A LITTLE TIME? FOR THE PROPER BALANCE OF THINGS. TO RETURN WHAT WAS GIVEN. FOR THE SAKE OF PRISONERS AND THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS. Death took a step backwards. It was impossible to read expression in Azrael's features. Death glanced sideways at the servants. LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?”

[@MrKingkez]

He is the guide the last face you see the ticket man, not a monster as most media makes him out to be. Yes it's scary to see a skeleton after you die but he tells you what happened and helps you along, now think what would happen if he was not there at all.

[@clarktooncrossing3975]

Easily the best part of this entire story. Who'da thunk that Death understood the spirit of the season more than most living people?

[@The-Do-It-All-Badger]

More importantly, who would have thought that Nobby would understand it better than most people?

[@hannabelphaege3774]

I want to point out that, in the entire series, this is one of three or less times Death breaks the rule. And the other times the rules were burred almost beyond recognition.

[@ark1567]

Well, like Death said, no rules have been broken, because he was the Hogfather and the Hogfather give presents. Of course, he was even Death so he could give the little girl, the present that normally, he couldn't give to anyone!

[@rossjamieson1939]

WHILE IT IS TRUE WE HAVE TO RIDE OUT, IT DOESN'T SAY ANYWHERE AGAINST WHOM.

[@RohenBlackwolf]

Death master of loopholes

[@gundamgamer7060]

What were the other times he did so?

[@kurodracovalladares8823]

You guys forget about super Death

[@rustkarl]

The one time a fix-fic comes off as satirically clever and heartwarming instead of cringe-inducing.

[@buzz9981]

Match-stick girl traumatized all of us as kids, it’s perfectly cathartic to see her live

[@theAngryscotman]

I like to think he has the power to do it as Death but the authority to do it as Hogfather.

[@colinmerritt7645]

He outright says that in another book. He could have saved his own daughter and son-in-law, but no. Death can never play favorites if the system is to remain remotely fair.

[@elisanns]

"we might be as poor as a disabled banana..." lol I love Death. This is one of the sweetest parts of the movie.

[@kryten1992]

I get all watery eyed from this. I remember listening to my mum reading the little match stick girl to my niece when she was 4. let's just say she had a terrible time reading the book and I sat there with a tear stained face horrified over the story. a few months later this comes out and my heart melts all over again for her and how death was so kind. always like to visit this to gove myself a little refresh on humanity

[@kryten1992]

I'm back again. would happily be an apprentice to this death wants to learn everything about being human and becomes the best version a human could possibly be.

[@ariandynas]

The finest surgeon for the mortally injured, The softest bed for the deathly tired, The most welcoming busom for the homeless spirit.

[@Dobolob576445678]

Oh god, I just heard about Pratchetts death, this is the first thing that came to mind. I'm sitting here, crying and now I can't stop.

[@RaylightSilver]

same here, same here ....

[@vksasdgaming9472]

AT LAST, SIR TERRY WE MUST WALK TOGETHER

[@FullmetalHeart20]

Sorry Lord Death. I have a new favorite Grim Reaper.

[@alertArchitect]

Pratchett's version of Death is always who I turn people towards when they try to say other versions are the best interpretations. My sister tries to say King Hassan from FATE, but there is much more value in what you can learn from Death in Discworld.

[@thebluedragon07]

@@alertArchitect This is how I always picture death when I came across Discworld. And if you pay attention he gives hints about his nature. Like in the Colour of Magic, when he was summoned, they asked why the turtle was moving towards the Star, he replies "it's for a matter that has nothing to do with me". Death is about claiming the dead souls, he's not about life he respects his nature. And in this, when takes on the role of the Hogfather, he took the role literally, but sometimes his other nature seeps in. Like in the cottage when he was talking to Albert about how people get certain gifts due to their status in life, he exclaims when Albert said "That's life" about how unfair it is "But I'm not" It's in his nature to always be fair to everyone, for in his role as Death, he comes after everyone and treats them all fairly and with respect.

[@matthewgraham4583]

@@alertArchitect Pratchett has my second favorite Death, but no one beats Death of the Endless.

[@Poetamo]

My dream come true: to see the Little Match Girl saved! Death rocks!

[@NickJohnCoop]

I love that they depicted this moment perfectly.

[@PepperBell-oj5e]

This scene still makes me cry to this day.

[@Nimbus811104]

This is a beautiful scene. THERE IS NO BETTER PRESENT THEN A FUTURE. Indeed

[@electricbayonet2]

Ah, yes. The Story of the Little Match Girl. That heartwarming Christmas story about a little girl dying cold and alone in the streets on *fucking Christmas* because her parents are so cartoonishly evil that Captain Planet villains would tell them dial it back a few notches. Seriously, the actual story is horrifying. It's expected to be uplifting and shit, but when the only 'good' thing is "And then the little girl *didn't* get sent to hell," I question...basically every part of the story, really.

[@RexBlazer1]

+Th. Noatak The story was that she couldn't go home because her father would beat her for not selling any matches.

[@RexBlazer1]

+electricbayonet2 In the original story, it was only her father who threatened to beat her for not selling any matches. We don't really know anything about her mother. Also, it took place on New Year's Eve. Plus, when she died, she was with her grandmother, the only person mentioned in the story to have ever shown her love and kindness, in Heaven, where she'd never have to suffer in poverty again.

[@electricbayonet2]

RexBlazer1 Okay...so either the mom is dead, or she's sufficiently negligent that she doesn't mind her abusive spouse sending her daughter out into the freezing cold on a holiday when almost everyone is going to be inside anyway. Doesn't exactly improve my opinion of her. That isn't any consolation. There is nothing uplifting about getting into heaven when you have all the accumulated sin of a prepubescent girl whose life was nothing but neglect and abuse. The story doesn't get a happy ending just because it reassures us that the universe stopped shitting on this poor little girl after it already *killed her*.

[@z-beeblebrox]

Well, the story was more meant to put a sympathetic face on the serious problem of poverty and homelessness that was being mostly ignored at the time it was written. Even her occupation as a "match girl" is specific to the time: begging was illegal so sending your kids out to ostensibly sell matches was a legal way around it. That's why the story is horrifying - it's trying to persuade you of something. It's the tried-and-true tactic of all satire/allegories: if you want your point to really motivate the reader, make the protagonist lose. After all, if she's saved at the last minute by some charitable person, the reader might think "Oh, well luckily that person was there to fix everything. As long as they're around, *I* don't have to be charitable"

[@RexBlazer1]

z beeblebrox Agreed. And while I may not like seeing kids die in things, both fictional and real, the original story does bring home the injustice of the situation all the more. Plus, it's of the few times where the kid character isn't killed off just to show how evil somebody is.

[@Roderic07]

If I would need to make a list of top ten of touching moments in film history this one would score high on my list......beautiful

[@Tannerbot2k]

This never stops making me cry. What a beautiful scene.

[@SebideeTW]

Constable Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory-Pamphlets and Corporal Cecil "Nobby" Nobbs, certified human and briefly the Earl of Ankh!

[@Losteoin]

One day in a million days. when the wind stands fair and Death comes to call,everybody lives

[@sarafontanini7051]

just once, just this once, eveen death can save a life

[@TheJboy88]

Of all the personifications of death out there, I hope that this is the one who will one day collect me.

[@RequiemPoete]

You know, listening to Albert talk, I can't help but think. Does A match girl dies every year? Like seriously, does everyone knowingly let some random match girl die so they can say, "well at least we're better off."? Or is The Match Girl like death? An anthropomorphic personification of being grateful your not worse off? Does this spirit die every year, only to be sent back to freeze to death the next? If so then didn't DEATH break this God forsaken cycle?

[@TheLittleRussian2]

RequiemPoete That's a great idea.

[@typacsk]

Have you read "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"?

[@RequiemPoete]

typacsk: Actually, my only experience with Discworld is this and the color of magic films.

[@Cirac1]

Well this is Ankh Morpork - kids die on the streets on good days.

[@RequiemPoete]

@@Cirac1 Lovely city otherwise. Lol!

[@SilenceInd]

Every december I return to this clip

[@moonbeam6010]

Pretty safe to say, that Death doesn't enjoy killing people. So naturally I feel he would want to save lives the moment he was given the opportunity to do so..

[@Solinaru]

Death has a duty to make sure that the souls of the departed are collected. The Hogsfather on the other hand has a duty to provide to the people of the world so that the sun can rise again tomorrow. This is the rare case where the Hogsfather also just so happen to be holding onto someone's time in their hands... and there's no rule about the Hogsfather -not- giving time... 😊

[@Grab_N001]

I like how it sounds like a subtle burn to the other guardsman at the end. I'm not familiar with the characters but I think the shorter one was shown kindness and is content to help a child Or I misunderstood

[@gregoryhayes7569]

It is absolutely intended as a burn. Constable Visit is a very devout and religious man, but when asked to perform the charity his god demands of him he winds up only thinking of himself. Meanwhile, Nobby was "disqualified from the human race for shoving", but still has fundamental human decency.

[@xedalpha1]

What can the harvest hope for, but the care of the Reaper man...

[@johnathanmonsen6567]

Just skipped over, like, the hardest line in literary history. THAT'S NOT FAIR. "That's Life." IT IS. BUT I AM NOT.

[@zhaohanyong7880]

Diskworld's Death, Sandman's Death and Momo of Shinigami no Balad are the reaper I hope me and my love ones will meet when the time comes

[@JoshSweetvale]

From the things they say, Discworld's DEATH and Death of the Endless are colleagues.

[@barbiquearea]

Ahhh! The Little Match Girl is so cute.

[@mikebliss3153]

I'm not crying. You're crying. Okay, I'm crying, too.

[@travelkingable]

Best part is, had he done this as Death, like he did with Mort, she'd have only the same ammount if time she had lived on earth. But as the Hogfather? Now, that's different.

[@RogueShadows]

There are a lot of good scenes in this movie. This one is the best.

[@thomas19406]

Death is the only person i know who can look badass while wearing a fake beard.

[@coralroper6876]

Come on, Albert, where's your Hogswatch spirit?

[@rogerwilco2]

One of my favourite movies.

[@rhiannoncrim5655]

This scene really hits me hard in the feels since my son died last week.

[@sarazolali5201]

I'm so sorry for your loss. May his soul rest in peace.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

No child should die before their parent. Fortunately Death by Sir Terry Pratchett is friendly and compassionate.

[@rhiannoncrim5655]

@@sarazolali5201 Thank you. It will be a year come Nov 18th

[@spookydonutghosthouse]

I am so sorry for your loss RIP to your son

[@rhiannoncrim5655]

@@spookydonutghosthouse thank you. It's going on three years since he passed away

[@Robert-ht7om]

An innocent shouldn't have to die alone in the cold just to make others feel better about their own life.

[@Soroboruo]

Awwwww.... I hope that was a good number of years.

[@IethargicAnarchist]

He's come a long way from the Colour of Magic, where he'd kill a bystander for the hell of it, hasn't he?

[@nopenop1495]

After this scene, one must ask themselves how often he wanted to do this sort of thing and couldn't because he was bound by the natural order of the universe.

[@zachariasquicksilver3664]

Two people are Auditors.

[@aquila4460]

+Zacharias Quicksilver Holy fuck, after 2 years....only 2 downvotes.....

[@RequiemPoete]

+Aquila One of them is Teatime.

[@MySerpentine]

Nah, Teatime's too nice for that :p

[@1987MartinT]

Don't worry. We all know what happens to them at the end of the story.

[@Nemo7The7Pirate7]

They work in threes.

[@ryanjones_rheios]

Everyone is condemning the "Little Matchstick Girl" a bit too much. In it Death is her only release from a life of coldness, abuse, and poverty. Being with her grandmother was the better alternative to the real world. That's the happy story beat, the reality that the world is terrible for some people. But in this? Death is still her release, just that in a world of magic he can give her more of a future.

[@ethenallen1388]

Near the end of the movie, Death would describe compassion as one of the great lie of humanity, but this moment showed it was a "lie" he believed in.

[@Igarappappa]

I'd say there is. He's been writing such great works for years. Can't think of people who can do that as well in recent years. Hard to find books with characters that can touch you like this in recent times.

[@DreamingWithDragons]

Man, I tear up every time I see this scene. Death is by far my favorite character in this entire series. He seems to know compassion better than most humans, and he's DEATH. Says something about human nature, doesn't it?

[@Geth-Who]

I utterly adore the music in this.

[@Influx27]

I love this take on the matchstick girl story. Not sure what Pratchett was getting at with his take on the Good King Wencelas song though. The only valid criteque I can think of is that it'd been better if the king had granted the farmer the right to gather wood near his house instead of having to come get it leagues from where he lives, but that's not what Pratchett talked about at all.

[@MrKingkez]

Every time that gives me the spine tingle of yes this this is a good thing

[@Nixx0912]

I hated that story so much as a kid, It felt so good to see that Death fixed it.

[@damiencrossley7497]

"The Hogfather can, the Hogfather gives presents. There's no better present than a future!" My strong heart! OW!

[@OrganizedChaos1117]

ALBERT, ON A FAR AWAY WORLD WHERE WINTER IS COMING, THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY I AM THE ONLY GOD AND THERE IS ONLY ONE THING TO SAY TO ME. AND NOW, AS ACTING HOGFATHER ON THIS HOGSWATCH, TO THIS LITTLE MATCH GIRL, I WILL SAY IT MYSELF: NOT TODAY!

[@medukameguca1868]

Sound idea, poor execution. 6/10

[@roiking2740]

start it like this " on a far away land where seasons are as long as years and a doom world hangs on the shoulders of few. there i am the only god that was and will be. and yet here i act as hog father on this hogswatch, gazing upon this dying match girl and I shall say this to myself. not today"

[@RequiemPoete]

Translation: Bitch! I'm Santa Clause this year, and Santa Claus says eternity can shove a brick of coal up it's stocking. This poor girl's getting a few extra decades under the tree this year!

[@BloodyBay]

@@roiking2740 You _do_ realize that the OP was tossing a reference to Game of Thrones/ASoIaF, Syrio Forel and the people of Braavos in general, right? Syrio [to Arya Stark]: "There is only one god, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today!'"

[@wstavis3135]

@@BloodyBay he did not understand the reference at all.

[@yvonneburns2786]

Never thought in a million eternities Death would be more human than us all.

[@fr0nkky20]

Fr

[@TheAussieBlue]

Pratchett gets letters like that. He stares at the wall for a while after reading them.

[@JoshSweetvale]

With how he went at Crowned Death, I want to see Discworld's Death as the head of an Internal Affairs team that travels across the Multiverse to chokeslam some sense into Grim Reapers everywhere. Starting with Final Destination's Death, and maybe swinging by Castlevania.

[@docxen]

this scene in the book and movie always got to me

[@lodevijk]

My favourite bit from the movie. Two thumbs up, and thanks for sharing.

[@TheLazysketcher]

Man, i wish they released these movies again on dvd, or blu-ray. I really regret not buying the Terry Pratchett collection when i saw it just a few years ago!

[@nephtys369]

Me too. I passed on it thinking “I can get it later”. 🤦

[@Hivedragon]

Search the internet and thrift stores, thats how I got mine copy.

[@TheLazysketcher]

@@Hivedragon Already doing it. Unfortunately, people are really scalping it.

[@Hivedragon]

​@@TheLazysketcherAny succes yet?

[@TheLazysketcher]

@@Hivedragon You betcha! The DVD is sitting front and center on my movie-shelf! 😊

[@AtheistCanuck]

this makes me smile, it's beautiful.

[@poseidonm7]

"We might be poor as a disabled banana" really caught me off guard, like damn... 🍌

[@kecenavrtep]

Once in the future, they will not remeber us for Clinton or Obama or Putin. They will not teach they children about Harry Potter or Kardashians. They will remenber our generation for Terry. And this is kind of imortality, nobody of us can achieve.

[@michaelnuckel5254]

GNU Sir Terry

[@edwardhardwick2180]

"A man's not dead while his name's still spoken."

[@RequiemPoete]

And I'm fine with that.

[@kryten1992]

I brake when she takes her first breath again. that shows the death has a bigger heart then anything in discworld

[@Nemo7The7Pirate7]

I would say that was jis sense of justice, not heart.

[@Nestmind]

Is amazing on how the most humane character of the saga...is Death

[@romeosdistress]

aaand I'm crying. Just like every time I watch this.

[@Maladjester]

Pow. Right in the feels.

[@JoshSweetvale]

This is the meaning of life.

[@lodevijk]

@Nanomachinist What you wrote reminded me of something about Death. That he's not all that bad. He relieves the less fortunate of this world of their pain and suffering. Which already tells us Pratchett's humanist stance on euthanasia - which is not very politically correct. It's amazing how subtle he is about the most serious of matters.

[@Lelines0]

I know its a skull but I can't help but think its smiling.

[@All2Meme]

(as the Discword Death) I AM SORRY, IT IS A SORT OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD FOR ME TO GRIN ALL OF THE TIME...

[@darthlazurus4382]

That is why I loved Discworld's Death. He is professional, but he has a heart. He cares.

[@ratholin]

who the hell is cutting onions?

[@RequiemPoete]

ratholin: And the bastards are still cutting them, two years later.

[@Josnaci0]

They're still cutting onions, four years later.

[@PoeticallyBlind]

Beautiful. Thank you so much, Death.

[@thomas19406]

Death could be wearing a pink tutu and still look badass

[@HonestlyAnnaFun]

Albert: "Disabled Banana" quotes of life

[@KaiTenSatsuma]

I always ugly cry at this part, movie or book

[@BloodyBay]

Constable Visit: "Well, I don't call it very charitable, just dumping someone on people like this!" Dude, the match girl's *right there,* in your arms, looking at you! _Listening_ to you! Show a shred of compassion and stop talking about her like she's an unwanted bag of garbage, will you? Sheesh! o_O

[@TimedRevolver]

Oh, if only Vimes had been there (or Carrot, if this takes place after Guards! Guards!). Either would have made sure that girl got everything she needed. And the Heavens help any angels that force Vimes to let The Beast out, because nothing else in existence will be able to.

[@Nobythulhu]

It's really quite interesting, because the guy he's partnered with, who accepts the duty of kindness he's been handed, is NOBBY. The guy who you should never take your eyes off, especially if you have pockets. Visit, the religious nut, shows no compassion for the freezing little girl, but Nobby, who has to carry a certificate proving he's (probably) human, because he was shown kindness earlier in the story, doesn't even hesitate. Hell, he shoots Visit a snide remark for his uncharitable behavior. True meaning of Hogswatch, indeed. A part of me always fervently hoped that Nobby actually did check up on the little girl in the coming years. I used to dream up a scenario where, years ahead, when he died in some ignominious manner befitting him, he's a bit worried by how proud Death sounds of him as He leads Nobby off to whatever awaits. And when he finally asks why Death is being like that, all he gets as a reply is "I CHECKED UP ON HER. BUT NOT AS OFTEN AS YOU DID." Do I believe Nobby is a GOOD man, the way Carrot or Vimes are? No. I think he's pretty standard when it comes to the big things, maybe even below average. Okay, ABSOLUTELY below average. But do I believe he's capable of performing the small kindnesses in life, the ones that really matter? Absolutely. Maybe not always, but this moment, as well as one or two others throughout the series, make me think he does have some good in him. And that's always worth encouraging in somebody, no matter how inconsequential they are.

[@Hanmacx]

I would have liked if it would have been mentioned in later books that the Watch took care of her and she stays with them

[@BloodyBay]

@@Hanmacx ...and becomes Constable Matchgirl in subsequent years after coming of age? I could certainly get behind that development!

[@h.a.9880]

Death might be one of the finest characters in Discworld and that's saying a lot. He started out rather evil, getting frustrated at not being able to finally bag Rincewind. He kills flies in frustration at some point, cause Rincewind got away once more. He later changed completely to representing the "final mercy for the suffering", a philosophical outsider and observer of humanity. He shows compassion towards them in a very unique and fatalistic way. He knows that deaths are tragic, but he also knows that it's a kind of everyday tragedy, one that's just part of life itself. He's got some of the most insightful quotes in all of Discworld and I love him for that.

[@Daniel-rd6st]

Well Rincewind frustrated him because he was an anomaly, due to the great spell severly messing up his sandwatch so that even Death himself couldnt tell when Rincewinds time comes. You could say that that hurt his professional pride and also was quite a thorn in his side id wager, since he usually knows when the time of every lifing thing has come. But yes, he did change quite a bit, when he allowed himself to become emotionally attached to certain people.

[@Dobolob576445678]

THERE'S NO BETTER PRESENT THAN A FUTURE. See, Discworld the only series where Death himself can be not only compassionate, but still Death. God, I wish they'd make a Reaperman one...Death is (One of the) the best character(s) and Reaperman was all about him.

[@ginnyisdacoolest]

@IethargicAnarchist It makes sense; it was in Mort that he really started to catch his lifelong case of humanity.

[@MacTechG4]

If this scene doesn't get.....dust....in your eyes, you're not Human and have no soul... Discworld Death is, IMHO, the *definitive* Death, I can't imagine Death in any other way, when it's my time to shuffle off this mortal coil, I hope that Death is like Discworld Death

[@Alverant]

Visits has a point. It's not really more to force an obligation on someone. Then again, they are Watchmen and that's part of the job.

[@JohnvanCapel]

That was a really memorable part of the book, and it's a shame they left it out.

[@jessicajayes8326]

Has the Omnian ever read the adventures of the prophet Brutha(Small Gods)? Don't worry, Nobby is only as bad as a weasel is evil.

[@aryllia]

I can't help but to think how this scene must be from the little girl's perspective - being carried around and handed over like another package XD I wish I'll one day be such a good author that I can create a character like the Discworld Death.

[@nataliemeyers2626]

This Scene and the scene from The Princess Bride where Inigo Montoya avenged his father by slaying the six fingered man; NO GREATER SCENES EVER WRITTEN! QuQ