The Star Money
별의 돈
Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm (1785–1863, 1786–1859)
The Story
Tap a word to translate it. Select text to highlight it or add it to your study plan.
Once there was a poor little girl with no father and no mother.She had nothing left in the world but the clothes she wore and one small piece of bread.But she had a kind heart, so she walked out into the wide world, trusting God.
On the road, 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 it do you good."
She walked on, and a child called to her, "I am so cold. Please give me something for my head."She took off her own cap and gave it to the child.A little further, another child had no jacket, so she gave away her jacket too.
Then a child asked for a skirt, and she gave that away as well.At last she came to a dark forest, and a child asked her for a shift to wear.
The good little girl thought, "It is dark here. No one can see me," so she took off her own shift and gave it away.Now she stood there with nothing left at all, not even one small piece of clothing.
Suddenly, stars began to fall down from the sky.Each star turned into a shining silver coin as soon as it touched the ground.And though she had given away her shift, she found she was wearing a new one, made of the finest linen.
She gathered up all the silver coins and carried them home in her apron.She had given away everything she owned, and now she was rich for the rest of her life.
Comprehension Check
1. What did the poor girl have when the story begins?
2. What did the girl do every time she met someone in need?
3. What happened after the girl gave away her very last piece of clothing?
Vocabulary
adjective
poor
가난한
There was a poor little girl with no father and no mother.
아버지도 어머니도 없는 가난한 소녀가 있었어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, say what the girl gave away, and what happened to her at the end of the story.
Source: Adapted from the Brothers Grimm's tale "The Star Money" ("Die Sterntaler," 1812; long in the public domain, Project Gutenberg #2591). This simplified retelling and its Korean translation are original text written for SeoJae Story; no softening was needed — the tale has no peril at all.