The Star-Money

Once upon a time there was a little girl whose father and mother were dead. She was so poor that she had no room to live in and no bed to sleep in. At last she had nothing left but the clothes she was wearing and a little piece of bread that a kind person had given her. But she was good and kind-hearted. Abandoned by everyone, she walked out into the open country, trusting in God.

Soon a poor man met her and said, "Please give me something to eat, I am so hungry!" She gave him her whole piece of bread and said, "May God bless it for you," and walked on.

Then a child came crying, "My head is so cold, give me something to cover it!" So she took off her hood and gave it to him. A little farther on she met another child who had no jacket and was shivering with cold. She gave him her own jacket. A bit later another child begged for a dress, and she gave that away too.

At last she entered a forest. It was already dark. Yet another child came and asked for a little shirt. The good little girl thought, "It is a dark night and no one sees me. I can easily give away my shirt." She took it off and gave it away.

Now she stood there with nothing left at all. Suddenly stars fell down from the sky. They were not stars but hard, smooth silver coins. And even though she had just given away her shirt, she now had a new one made of the finest linen. She gathered the coins into it and was rich for the rest of her life.