One day, a mosquito boasted to an iguana that he had seen a farmer digging yams as big as himself. The iguana, annoyed by such a ridiculous lie, plugged his ears with sticks and walked away. A python saw the iguana and, receiving no greeting, assumed the lizard was plotting against him. Terrified, the python hid in a rabbit hole. This startled the rabbit, who bolted into a clearing. A crow saw the rabbit running for its life and raised a frantic alarm. Hearing the warning, a monkey leaped through the trees, accidentally breaking a branch that fell upon an owl's nest, killing a young owlet. Mother Owl was so heartbroken that she refused to hoot for the sun to rise. The world remained in darkness until King Lion called a council. He traced the chain of events back from the monkey to the python to the iguana, and finally to the mosquito’s lie. When the sun finally rose, the mosquito was so consumed by guilt that she hid. To this day, she buzzes in people's ears to ask if everyone is still angry with her.
Even a small lie or a minor misunderstanding can trigger a chain reaction of unintended and disastrous consequences.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of Why Mosquitoes Buzz?
The moral is that our words and actions, no matter how small, have consequences. It highlights how dishonesty and lack of communication can lead to a cycle of misfortune for an entire community.
What kind of story is Why Mosquitoes Buzz?
It is a 'pourquoi' tale, which is a French term for 'why' stories. These traditional folktales are used to explain why certain things in nature happen, such as a mosquito's buzzing sound.
Where does the story Why Mosquitoes Buzz originate?
This story is a traditional West African folktale. It gained international fame through Verna Aardema's 1975 adaptation, which captured the oral tradition of the region.
Why did the sun stop rising in the story?
The sun stopped rising because Mother Owl was too grief-stricken to hoot. In the jungle's mythology, her hooting was the signal that woke the sun each morning.
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Good night.