Once upon a time, there was a family whose parents had passed away when the children were still young. Among seven brothers, the youngest was born weak and unattractive, and because of this, his older brothers often treated him coldly and excluded him, even though he was gentle and kind-hearted. Feeling sad about his difficult life, the boy decided to seek advice from the oldest elder in the village. He asked politely, “Sir, I want to meet the god Zanahary. How can I do that?”
The elder looked carefully at the boy and saw that he was a good and pitiful child. He replied, “Your journey will be long and difficult. You will have to cross high mountains, wide fields, streams, and steep passes. But if you follow my instructions carefully, you will reach a safe place and find great fortune.” The boy promised, “I will do exactly as you say.” The elder continued, “Along the way, you will see a sugarcane field, a flock of sheep, an orange grove, a herd of cattle, and a clear spring. You must not touch any of them. When you arrive at Zanahary’s house, if he is absent, greet his wife politely. If she offers you water, accept it with both hands.”
The youngest son set out on his journey. As he walked, he came to the tall and thick sugarcane field, but he did not touch a single stalk and passed straight through. He saw the plump and healthy sheep and praised them, “What beautiful sheep,” yet he did not take or harm any of them. When he reached the orange grove, although he was thirsty, he carefully avoided knocking down any of the ripe fruit. He admired the fat cattle grazing by the road and praised them, “These are such fine animals,” but he continued without disturbing them. Finally, he arrived at the clear spring and looked at his reflection, but he did not touch the water.
After leaving the spring, he reached Zanahary’s house. Only the god’s wife was home. The boy bowed respectfully and waited at the door. She poured water for him, and he accepted the cup with both hands and thanked her politely. Just then, Zanahary returned and greeted the boy. He asked, “Hello, young boy. Your brothers have not treated you well. What do you wish from me?” The boy replied, “O Zanahary, I want to become strong and handsome because people often mock my weakness and plain looks.”
Zanahary asked about the journey, and the boy reported that he had seen the sugarcane, sheep, orange grove, cattle, and spring, but he had not touched, harmed, or taken anything. He had greeted the wife respectfully and accepted water properly. Zanahary smiled and placed his hand on the boy’s head. In an instant, the boy transformed into a strong and handsome young man. He thanked Zanahary and returned home full of joy.
When the six older brothers saw his transformation, they were amazed. They asked, “Is that really you? Where did you go?” The youngest replied honestly, “I went to see Zanahary, and he blessed me because I followed the instructions and showed respect.” Excited by the possibility of their own fortune, the brothers decided to go and seek Zanahary’s favor for themselves.
They approached the village elder, who carefully warned them, “You may succeed, but only if you follow my instructions exactly.” The brothers promised to obey, but along the journey, they disobeyed at every turn. They plucked sugarcane, killed sheep for food, picked oranges, threw stones at the cattle, drank freely from the spring, and ignored proper manners when greeting the god’s wife. When Zanahary returned, he was disappointed. He said, “You do not understand respect or character. You are only fit to be animals.” In an instant, the six brothers were transformed into creatures: a gecko, a snake, a frog, a toad, a rat, and a bat.
All the family inheritance was left to the youngest, the boy who had been obedient, kind, and respectful. Through his patience, self-discipline, and virtue, he gained fortune and blessings. The story teaches that true reward comes from humility, respect, and following wise guidance.