The Star-money

by Brothers Grimm · from Household Tales

fairy tale moral tale hopeful Ages 5-10 352 words 2 min read
Original Story 352 words · 2 min read

The star-money

A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm

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, and at last she had nothing else but the clothes she was wearing and a little bit of bread in her hand which some charitable soul had given her. She was, however, good and pious. And as she was thus forsaken by all the world, she went forth into the open country, trusting in the good God.

Then a poor man met her, who said: "Ah, give me something to eat, I am so hungry!" She reached him the whole of her piece of bread, and said: "May God bless it to thy use," and went onwards. Then came a child who moaned and said: "My head is so cold, give me something to cover it with." So she took off her hood and gave it to him; and when she had walked a little farther, she met another child who had no jacket and was frozen with cold. Then she gave it her own; and a little farther on one begged for a frock, and she gave away that also. At length she got into a forest and it had already become dark, and there came yet another child, and asked for a little shirt, and the good little girl thought to herself: "It is a dark night and no one sees thee, thou canst very well give thy little shirt away," and took it off, and gave away that also.

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, and although she had just given her little shirt away, she had a new one which was of the very finest linen. Then she gathered together the money into this, and was rich all the days of her life.

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Story DNA

Moral

True generosity and piety, even in destitution, will be divinely rewarded.

Plot Summary

An orphaned and impoverished girl, with only her clothes and a piece of bread, wanders into the world. Driven by piety and kindness, she systematically gives away her bread and every piece of her clothing to a series of needy strangers and children. After giving away her last garment in a dark forest, stars fall from the sky, transforming into money, and she finds herself clothed in fine linen. She gathers the star-money and lives a rich life, rewarded for her selfless generosity.

Themes

charityselflessnessdivine rewardpoverty and wealth

Emotional Arc

suffering to triumph

Writing Style

Voice: third person omniscient
Pacing: brisk
Descriptive: sparse
Techniques: rule of three (repeated giving), direct address to reader (implied through moral)

Narrative Elements

Conflict: person vs nature (poverty, cold) / person vs self (temptation to keep possessions)
Ending: moral justice
Magic: stars transforming into money, spontaneous appearance of new clothing
the star-money (divine reward)the girl's clothing (her diminishing possessions, then her renewed state)

Cultural Context

Origin: German
Era: timeless fairy tale

Reflects common Christian virtues and beliefs prevalent in 19th-century Germany, where good deeds were often seen as leading to heavenly or earthly reward.

Plot Beats (11)

  1. An orphaned, impoverished girl, with only her clothes and a piece of bread, leaves her home.
  2. She meets a hungry man and gives him her entire piece of bread.
  3. She encounters a cold child and gives away her hood.
  4. She meets another freezing child and gives away her jacket.
  5. She meets a child who asks for a frock and gives away her own.
  6. In a dark forest, she meets a final child asking for a shirt, and she gives away her last piece of clothing.
  7. Completely naked and having nothing left, stars begin to fall from the sky.
  8. The falling stars transform into hard, smooth pieces of money.
  9. Simultaneously, a new shirt of the finest linen appears on her.
  10. She gathers the star-money into her new shirt.
  11. She becomes rich and remains so for the rest of her life.

Characters

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The Little Girl

human child female

Impoverished, initially dressed in the only clothes she owns.

Attire: Starts with a simple dress, a hood, a jacket, a frock, and a little shirt. Ends with a new shirt of the finest linen.

A small girl, standing alone in a dark forest, receiving falling star-money while wearing a new, fine linen shirt.

Good, pious, charitable, trusting in God, selfless.

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The Poor Man

human adult male

Hungry and in need.

Attire: Implied simple, worn clothing.

A man with an outstretched hand, asking for food.

Needy, desperate.

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The Child (cold head)

human child unknown

Suffering from cold, specifically a cold head.

Attire: Lacking adequate head covering.

A child with an uncovered head, shivering.

Vulnerable, suffering.

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The Child (no jacket)

human child unknown

Frozen with cold due to lack of a jacket.

Attire: Lacking a jacket.

A child shivering, clutching themselves for warmth, without a jacket.

Vulnerable, suffering.

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The Child (begging for frock)

human child unknown

In need of a frock.

Attire: Lacking a frock, implied to be poorly dressed.

A child with tattered or insufficient clothing, gesturing for a frock.

Needy.

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The Child (asking for shirt)

human child unknown

In need of a shirt.

Attire: Lacking a shirt, implied to be poorly dressed.

A child in the dark forest, looking cold and asking for a shirt.

Needy.

Locations

Open Countryside

outdoor morning | afternoon Implied mild, but potentially chilly given the requests for warm clothing.

A vast, exposed landscape, likely barren or sparsely vegetated, where the girl wanders after losing her home.

Mood: Desolate, hopeful, charitable.

The girl begins her journey and gives away her bread to a hungry man.

open fields dirt path distant horizon

Forest Path

outdoor dusk | night Implied cold, as children are freezing.

A dark, winding path within a dense forest, where visibility decreases as night falls.

Mood: Eerie, isolated, vulnerable, but ultimately transformative.

The girl gives away her last piece of clothing, her shirt, in the darkness.

dense trees darkening path shadows

Clearing under the Stars

outdoor night Clear night sky, possibly cold.

An open space, likely within or at the edge of the forest, directly beneath a clear night sky filled with falling stars.

Mood: Magical, miraculous, awe-inspiring, rewarding.

The girl receives her reward of star-money and a new linen shirt, marking her transformation from poverty to richness.

falling stars hard smooth pieces of money (star-money) new linen shirt dark night sky