Anonymous, retold by S. E. Schlosser

“ The starving family watching in astonishment as the seed became a vine and the vine grew and grew. Within minutes, luscious melons were growing on the vine. Within an hour, they were ripe and ready to pick.
"Father, father! May we eat a magic melon?" cried the hungry children. Laughing in delight, the younger brother pulled a melon off the vine and cut it open. Beside him, his wife gasped in astonishment. Inside, the melon was filled with so many gold coins that they spilled to the ground all around the starving family's feet. Every melon was full of gold. ”

“ Nothing is as important as family. Share this property and work together. I leave this land to both of you." And so saying, he died.
The elder brother was furious. The law of the land said that an elder son inherited everything. As soon as the funeral ceremonies were past, he thrust the younger brother from their home, ignoring the last wish of his dying father.
Heartbroken, the younger brother walked for many miles, far away from his home and village, until he found some broken down land that nobody wanted. ”

“ He tended it carefully, planting a small crop of rice and building a mud cottage that was thatched from the dirty straw that dropped from passing farm carts. By saving and scraping, he managed to make enough money to build a small house and make a profit. So he was able to marry and have a family. ”