The golden stars

Erinnern Sie sich an das Märchen Die Sterntaler? Hier stellen wir Ihnen eine moderne Version vor – zum Nachdenken und Englischlernen.

We all know at least a few fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood or Sleeping Beauty. The structure of these tales is familiar to us. They begin with the phrase “Once upon a time…” and use repetitive language to create drama: “Grandma, what big teeth you have! Grandma, what big ears you have!”

We have rewritten 24 fairy tales for the 21st century. Each one includes examples of a specific grammatical structure. This structure is explained in the notes at the end, where you will also find some related exercises. This month, we present a new version of The Star Money.

Once upon a time…

there was a little girl who — after she had thought everything over many times — decided to leave home in search of a better life. She hoped to find somewhere safe, far away from the poverty and gang violence that had surrounded her young life. She had already lost both parents and her little brother. She and her grandmother were the only ones who had survived the drive-by shooting.

Fearing that the little girl wouldn’t be safe if she stayed, her grandmother had encouraged her to go. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, too,” her grandmother told her. “You’re such a good girl. You should have a good life.”

So, the little girl set off with only the clothes on her back and a few coins in her pocket. She walked and walked, fear and hunger her constant companions.

She slept under trees, in churches and in graveyards. Some days, a kind stranger would give her something to eat, but she usually had to search for food in bins. And whenever she was thirsty, she drank from streams or even puddles. She was scared and her feet hurt, but the hope in her heart kept her going. The little girl dreamt of finding a safe place where she would be able to go to school, work hard and earn her own keep.

One day, as she was heading towards the mountains in the north, she saw an old man sitting by the side of the road. “Hello,” she said shyly. “Are you OK?” “Yes,” he said weakly. The girl was shocked to see that he was silently crying. “Are you hungry?” asked the girl.

“Yes,” replied the old man.

“I have a piece of bread,” said the girl. “Would you like it?”

“Yes, please,” said the man. The girl gave him her piece of bread. “Thank you,” said the man. “You are so generous. I hope the heavens will be generous to you.”

The girl walked on. The closer she got to the mountains, the cooler the air felt. When she came to a small village, she saw a little boy shivering by the roadside. “Hello,” she said gently. “Are you OK?” “No, not really,” sniffed the little boy. “I’m so cold.”

“I have a jumper,” said the girl. “Would you like it?”

“Yes, please,” said the boy. The kind girl gave the little boy her only jumper.

“Thank you,” smiled the little boy. “You are so generous. I hope the heavens will be generous to you.”

“I hope so, too,” said the little girl. She walked on, knowing that there was nothing more she could do for the poor little boy.

Before long, she came to a forest. She breathed in the fresh smell of the trees and soon found some berries, but she was cold and the shadows cast by the trees made her nervous. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone breathing in a bush close by.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

After what seemed like an age, she saw a face between the branches.

“Did I frighten you?” asked a girl’s voice.

“Yes,” answered the little girl. “Are you OK?” she asked. “Why are you disguised as a bush?” The little girl took a step closer.

“I don’t have any clothes,” sobbed the older girl behind the bush. “I was swimming in the lake over there and a group of boys saw me and ran off with my things.”

“I’m so sorry,” said the little girl. “Look, you can have my dress.” She took off her dress and offered it to the other girl. The older girl reached out from behind the bush to accept it. The little girl was left standing in her underwear.

“Thank you!” said the older girl. “But now you have nothing to wear and you must be so cold!” she said. “I hope the heavens will be generous to you.”

At that moment, there was a flash and a shower of bright stars fell softly to the ground around the two astounded girls. “How pretty!” cried the girls. The little girl crouched down and carefully touched one of the stars.

“They’re gold!” said the little girl, her eyes wide with joy. “Real gold!”

“Do you think we can keep them?” asked the older girl.

“I think we can use the gold to help people,” answered the little girl. She told the older girl about the old man and the little boy she had met on her journey. She also told the other girl where she had come from and how she longed to see her grandmother again.

A few weeks later, the two girls were sitting at the table in their new house.

“Could you pass me the butter, my dear?” said the old man.

“Could you pass it to me when you’re finished?” asked the little boy.

“Of course,” said the old man, smiling. “I told you the heavens would be generous,” he said to the little girl. “How can we ever thank you?”

“There’s no need to thank me,” said the little girl. “I’m so grateful that we’re all safe, that I can go to school and that my grandmother is here. I wouldn’t have a clear conscience knowing that others are suffering — when it takes so little to help.”

“Not everyone thinks like that,” said the older girl.

“No,” said the grandmother, holding her granddaughter close. “But what a difference one good heart can make.”

The little girl smiled and said, “As well as stars that turn to gold.”