Long ago, two brothers lived together after losing their parents when they were still very young. The older brother grew up with a greedy and selfish nature. He always wanted more for himself and rarely cared about anyone else. The younger brother was very different. He was gentle, honest, and ready to make sacrifices if it meant helping others.
When both of them got married, the older brother insisted on dividing the family inheritance. During the division, he took everything that had value such as the land, the house, and all the fields. He left the younger brother with nothing except a tiny, old hut that was falling apart and a single starfruit tree growing beside it. Although the situation was unfair, the younger brother did not argue. He simply accepted his share with a calm heart. Together with his wife, he repaired the hut, cleaned the yard, and took great care of the starfruit tree. After some time, the tree grew healthy and began to produce bright golden starfruit. The couple hoped to sell the fruit at the market to buy rice and support their simple life.
One day, a giant bird appeared in the yard. Its wings were enormous and its feathers shone in the sunlight. It flew straight to the starfruit tree and began to eat the fruit. The younger brother was shocked, because the fruit was their only source of income. He tried to chase the bird away and begged it not to take the fruit. To his surprise, the giant bird spoke. It calmly told him that it understood his worries and promised to repay everything. The bird said, “For every fruit I eat, I will repay you with gold. Sew a bag that is three hand spans long and bring it with you tomorrow.”
The next day, the bird returned and invited the younger brother to climb onto its back. With powerful wingbeats, it carried him high into the sky. They traveled over mountains, forests, and the open sea until they reached a deserted island filled with shining gold. The younger brother took only enough gold to fill his small three span bag. He did not want more than what the bird had told him to take. Once he returned home, his life slowly changed. He used the gold wisely and later became wealthy. Even after he grew rich, he continued to share food, money, and help with the poor people in the village. Everyone respected him and admired his kindness.
When the older brother learned that his younger brother had become rich, his jealousy and greed grew even stronger. He immediately demanded to exchange all of his property for the small hut and the starfruit tree. The younger brother did not hesitate and agreed right away. After the exchange, the giant bird came again, and the older brother pretended that he was poor so that the bird would offer him the same chance.
However, he did not follow the instruction. Instead of sewing a small three span bag, he forced his wife to make a very large bag that was twelve spans long. When the bird brought him to the island, he did not stop at filling the huge bag. He even stuffed gold into his pockets, his sleeves, and every space he could find. The bag became extremely heavy, but he refused to leave any gold behind.
On the journey back, the weight of the gold made the bird struggle to stay in the air. The bird repeatedly warned him to throw some of the gold away. The older brother ignored every warning and held tightly to his treasure. As they flew over the ocean, the burden became too much. The bird lost control, and the older brother fell into the sea along with all the gold he tried to keep. He disappeared beneath the waves and never returned.