The Story of the Starfruit Tree

In a prosperous village along the banks of the Red River, there once lived two brothers who could not have been more different from each other. The elder brother, Duc, was wealthy and successful but had a heart as cold as winter stone. The younger brother, Tam, was poor but possessed a generous spirit that warmed everyone around him like summer sunshine.

When their parents died, Duc inherited the family’s large house, fertile rice paddies, and prosperous business, while Tam received only a small plot of land with a single starfruit tree growing in the center. Most people in the village felt sorry for Tam, thinking he had received a poor inheritance compared to his brother’s wealth.

But Tam never complained about his modest circumstances. “A starfruit tree is a wonderful gift,” he would say cheerfully to his wife and children as they sat in its shade. “It provides us with delicious fruit, shelter from the sun, and a beautiful place to rest and talk together. What more could we need?”

Tam cared for his starfruit tree with loving attention, watering it carefully during dry seasons, protecting it from storms, and sharing its abundant fruit freely with neighbors and travelers who passed by his humble home.

“Take as many starfruits as you can carry,” he would offer to anyone who admired the tree’s sweet, golden fruit. “A gift from nature should be shared, not hoarded.”

Duc, meanwhile, lived in luxury but found little joy in his wealth. He spent his days counting his money, calculating profits from his business ventures, and finding ways to acquire even more possessions. Though he had everything he could want, he was never satisfied and grew increasingly bitter toward anyone who seemed happy with less than he had.

“Look at my foolish brother,” Duc would complain to his wife, “giving away his fruit to every beggar and vagrant who passes by. No wonder he remains poor while I prosper.”

But Duc’s prosperity came at a cost—he had no real friends, for people knew he cared more about their money than their company. His own family lived in fear of his anger, and even his wealth could not buy him the contentment that Tam found in his simple life.

One day, as Tam was tending his beloved starfruit tree, a magnificent bird unlike any he had ever seen landed on one of the highest branches. The creature was enormous, with feathers that seemed to be made of silver and gold, and eyes that sparkled with unusual intelligence.

“Beautiful bird,” Tam called up to the creature, “you are welcome to eat as much fruit as you wish. My tree has more than enough for everyone.”

The magical bird, whose name was Kim Ung, looked down at Tam with obvious appreciation for his generous offer. Every day thereafter, Kim Ung would visit the starfruit tree, eating his fill of the sweet fruit while Tam worked happily in his garden below.

After several weeks of these daily visits, Kim Ung spoke to Tam in a voice like silver bells ringing in the wind.

“Kind man,” the bird said, “your generosity and gentle nature have touched my heart. I am not an ordinary bird, but a magical creature with the power to grant rewards to those who show true goodness. Would you like me to take you to a place where you can gather gold and precious jewels?”

Tam was amazed by the talking bird, but his response was characteristically modest.

“Generous bird, I am grateful for your offer, but I have everything I need. My family is healthy, my tree provides fruit for all who want it, and we live peacefully. What more could gold and jewels add to our happiness?”

Kim Ung was impressed by Tam’s contentment, but he insisted on rewarding such virtue.

“Your lack of greed makes you even more worthy of blessing,” the bird declared. “Please, climb onto my back, and I will take you to the Island of Gold. Take only what you can carry in one small bag, and you will have enough to ensure your family’s comfort without corrupting your generous heart.”

Tam agreed to this adventure, and Kim Ung carried him high into the clouds and far across the sea to a mysterious island where the beaches were covered with gold dust and precious gems lay scattered like ordinary pebbles.

True to his promise, Tam filled only a small cloth bag with gold and jewels, taking exactly what Kim Ung had suggested and no more. Even when the magical bird encouraged him to take additional treasures, Tam politely declined.

“This is more wealth than my family has ever had,” he said gratefully. “To take more would be greedy, and greed corrupts the soul.”

When Kim Ung returned Tam to his home, the modest man shared his treasure wisely. He improved his family’s living conditions, helped needy neighbors, and contributed to the village temple, but he continued to live simply and share the fruit from his starfruit tree freely with all who visited.

Duc, however, could not hide his jealousy when he saw his brother’s improved circumstances.

“How did a poor man like you suddenly acquire gold and jewels?” he demanded suspiciously.

Tam, who had never learned to be deceptive, told his brother the entire story of Kim Ung and the Island of Gold.

Duc’s eyes lit up with greed and envy. “If that magical bird rewarded you for sharing a few starfruits, imagine how much treasure I could gain! After all, I have much more to offer than you do.”

The next day, Duc went to his brother’s house and demanded to borrow the starfruit tree.

“Brother,” he said with false friendliness, “since you have already received your reward from the magical bird, surely you won’t mind if I have a turn. Let me care for your tree for a while, and perhaps Kim Ung will grant me an even greater blessing.”

Tam, always generous and trusting, agreed to let his brother tend the starfruit tree, though he felt uneasy about Duc’s obvious greed.

When Kim Ung arrived for his daily visit, he found Duc waiting beneath the tree instead of Tam.

“Where is the kind man who usually cares for this tree?” the magical bird asked.

“That’s my brother,” Duc replied impatiently. “I am the owner of this tree now, and I demand that you take me to the Island of Gold just as you did for him.”

Kim Ung saw immediately that Duc’s heart was filled with greed rather than generosity, but the magical bird was bound by certain laws of fairness to offer the same opportunity to both brothers.

“Very well,” Kim Ung said reluctantly, “I will take you to the island. But remember—take only what you can carry in one small bag.”

Duc eagerly climbed onto the bird’s back, already fantasizing about the immense wealth he would soon possess.

When they reached the Island of Gold, Duc’s greed overcame any sense of caution or gratitude. Instead of filling one small bag as instructed, he stuffed his pockets, his shirt, and even his shoes with as much gold and as many jewels as he could carry.

“More!” he muttered to himself as he loaded treasure after treasure onto his person. “I must take as much as possible! This may be my only chance!”

Kim Ung watched Duc’s display of greed with growing disapproval and sadness.

“Friend,” the bird warned, “you are taking far more than you were instructed. Such greed will bring you no happiness.”

But Duc ignored the warning, continuing to stuff precious stones and gold into every available space in his clothing.

When it came time to fly back to the mainland, Duc had made himself so heavy with stolen treasure that Kim Ung could barely lift off from the island.

“This weight is too much,” the magical bird strained as they flew over the ocean. “You must release some of the treasure, or we will both fall into the sea.”

“Never!” Duc shouted, clutching his stolen wealth tightly. “I will not give up a single piece of gold!”

Kim Ung struggled valiantly to carry the greedy man back to shore, but the weight of Duc’s excessive treasure and the burden of his corrupted heart proved too much. Halfway across the ocean, the magical bird could fly no longer.

“I cannot carry such greed,” Kim Ung declared sadly. “Your weight comes not just from the gold you carry, but from the heaviness of your selfish heart.”

With these words, both Duc and his stolen treasure fell into the deep ocean, lost forever beneath the waves.

Kim Ung returned alone to the starfruit tree, where he found Tam waiting anxiously for news of his brother.

“I am sorry,” the magical bird said gently, “but your brother’s greed was his undoing. He took far more treasure than was offered and refused to listen to wisdom. The ocean has claimed both him and his stolen wealth.”

Tam wept for his lost brother, not because he missed Duc’s companionship—for Duc had never been kind to him—but because he understood that greed had destroyed a man who might have found happiness if he had learned to be content with enough.

From that day forward, Tam continued to care for his starfruit tree and share its fruit freely with all who needed it. Kim Ung visited occasionally, not to offer more treasures, but simply to enjoy the company of a man whose heart remained pure despite his newfound wealth.

The Story of the Starfruit Tree became one of Vietnam’s most popular moral tales, teaching children and adults alike about the difference between generosity and greed, contentment and endless wanting. It shows that true wealth comes not from accumulating possessions, but from having a heart generous enough to share what we have with others.

In Vietnamese villages, parents still point to starfruit trees and tell their children about Tam and Duc, reminding them that character is more valuable than gold, that kindness brings its own rewards, and that greed ultimately destroys those who let it rule their hearts.

And sometimes, on quiet evenings when the starfruit trees are heavy with golden fruit, people say they can still see a magnificent bird with silver and gold feathers visiting the trees, blessing those who share their harvest freely and reminding everyone that the sweetest fruit of all is the joy that comes from a generous and contented heart.