In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Star Talers,” gold coins fall from the sky after the girl gives away her last possessions.
The story follows a poor orphan who has nothing except the clothes she is wearing and a piece of bread. She gives the bread to a hungry person, then gives away her cap, bodice, skirt, and shirt to people who ask for help. After she has surrendered everything, stars fall from the sky and turn into gold coins.
The coins provide her with wealth, while the tale presents generosity as the source of her sudden good fortune. Unlike many Grimm stories, it is extremely short and focuses almost entirely on charity, deprivation, and miraculous reward.
The German title is “Die Sterntaler,” usually translated as “The Star Talers” or “The Star Money.” The name refers to the gold pieces formed from the falling stars. Some English editions use “star pennies,” but the Grimm text describes gold pieces rather than ordinary money.