Who is the protagonist in "The Little Match Girl"?

A. The little match girl's grandmother

B. The little match girl's cruel father

C. The passerby who finds the little girl's body

D. The little match girl

The protagonist is the central figure, about whom most of the story revolves, and who is "followed" in the story.

In the case of "The Little Match Girl" this is the girl herself, so the correct answer is

D. The little match girl