There was once a little orphan girl who was so poor that she had no home or bed. All she owned were the clothes on her back and a small piece of bread given to her by a kind soul. Yet, she was good and pious.
Forsaken by the world, she went into the open country, trusting in God. A poor man met her and begged, "Ah, give me something to eat, I am so hungry!" She gave him her entire piece of bread, saying, "May God bless it to thy use," and continued on.
Soon, a child moaned, "My head is so cold, give me something to cover it." She took off her hood and gave it to him. A little farther, she met another child shivering without a jacket, so she gave hers away. Further still, a child begged for a frock, and she gave that too.
At length, she entered a dark forest. Another child approached, asking for a little shirt. The good girl thought, "It is a dark night and no one sees thee, thou canst very well give thy little shirt away." So she took it off and gave it away.
As she stood there with nothing left, stars suddenly fell from heaven. They turned into hard, smooth coins. Although she had just given away her shirt, she now wore a new one of the finest linen. She gathered the money into it and lived in riches all her life.