90 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
selves to order their sister to fetch their Sarotra, (the Mala¬ 
gasy umbrella, a rude sort of mat-covering.) The parents 
were indignant, and reproved the youths, on their return 
home, for imposing so menial a task on their sister—their only 
sister. They even took them by the shoulders, and denounced 
anathemas on them, and solemnly charged the daughter 
never to carry anything, nor plant anything, except rice— 
not even the manioc, nor sweet potato ; that, if ordered to 
do it, she must peremptorily refuse, and that the “ boys” 
must do all labour of that kind, 
A clan exists to the present day in Ambodirano, calling 
themselves Zanak’antitra, i.e., old children, meaning made 
old by toil and labour. They consider themselves the 
descendants of this giant family, and their females still 
adhere to the ancient interdict, never carrying nor planting 
anything but the ketsa, rice-plants. 
The powers of Rapeto were of the most marvellous kind 
He could, it is said, fetch anything from the farthest 
extremities of the earth, and could even, at a stretch, reach 
the sky. One single step of his, would be equal to the 
dsitance of six days’ journey by an ordinary man. When 
visited by strangers, he conversed freely with them, and, 
without moving from his seat, would merely stretch out his 
hand, and procure abundance of fowls, sheep, and bullocks. 
With the same means he would bring an ample supply of 
fuel from the forest, to dress the provisions for his guests. 
Wishing occasionally for a few dainties at his table, he pro¬ 
duced the beautiful and extensive lake Itasy, which abounds 
to this day with excellent fish: a village to the west of 
Tarinarivo still retains his name. 
On one unfortunate occasion he had a serious quarrel 
with the moon, with whom he fought, but, notwithstanding 
his gigantic formation and strength, he was vanquished and 
