The Star-Money (Grimm)
Division into chapters is editorial.
A poor girls charity begins
Once upon a time lived a little girl who had lost both her parents and found herself in the most desperate poverty imaginable.
There was once on a time a little girl whose father and mother were dead, and she was so poor that she no longer had any little room to live in, or bed to sleep in
All she possessed were the clothes on her back and a small piece of bread that some kind soul had given her.
Despite her terrible circumstances, she remained virtuous and devout. Abandoned by the world, she ventured into the countryside, placing her faith in God's providence. Soon she encountered a poor man who begged her for food, claiming he was starving. Without hesitation, she gave him her entire piece of bread, blessing him as she did so, and continued on her way.
Continued acts of charity: giving away all her clothing
As the little girl continued her journey, she met a child who complained of being cold and asked for something to cover his head. Moved by compassion, she removed her hood and gave it to him. Walking further, she encountered another child who had no jacket and was shivering from the cold. She gave him her own jacket without hesitation.
A little further along her path, yet another child approached her, begging for a dress. The generous girl gave away her frock as well. Eventually, she reached a dark forest where she met one final child who asked for her shirt.
The good-hearted girl reasoned to herself that since it was dark and no one could see her, she could safely give away her last remaining garment. She removed her shirt and handed it over, leaving herself with absolutely nothing.
Divine reward: stars become money
As she stood there completely naked, having given away every possession she had, a miraculous event occurred.
And as she so stood, and had not one single thing left, suddenly some stars from heaven fell down, and they were nothing else but hard smooth pieces of money
The stars that fell from the heavens transformed into solid, smooth coins of real money. Even more wonderfully, despite having just given away her shirt, she found herself clothed in a new garment made of the finest linen imaginable. She gathered all the fallen star-money into this beautiful new shirt.
Then she gathered together the money into this, and was rich all the days of her life.
Through her selfless acts of charity and unwavering faith, the little girl who had once possessed nothing but the clothes on her back and a morsel of bread was rewarded by divine providence. Her willingness to give away everything she had to help others in need, even when she herself was destitute, earned her not only heavenly riches but prosperity that would last her entire lifetime. The tale demonstrates how genuine compassion and generosity, even in the face of extreme poverty, can be rewarded in the most unexpected and miraculous ways. Her transformation from a homeless orphan to a wealthy person serves as a testament to the power of selfless giving and trust in divine justice.