The Mosquito

A Tale from Laos

Mosquitoes are always annoying and sometimes unbearable, but few people know where they
come form or why they whine incessantly as they try to suck a little of our blood.

Ngoe Tam a poor farmer married Nhan deep a frivolous and lazy girl who dreamt only of luxury
and pleasure. She easily who dram taste and pleasure. She easily hid her tastes and ambitions from her
husband, whose love was neither exacting nor imageries and who thought her contentment with her life.

Nhan deep died suddenly leaving Ngoe Tam desolate and inconsolable. He refused to be
parted from his wife’s corpse and selling his possessions he set sail with her coffin and drifted down
the river.

One morning he found himself at the foot of a little hill covered with grass and sweet
smelling tress. He landed and wandered enchanted trees. He reached the top of the hill without
knowing he was climbing and suddenly met an old man learning on a bamboo staff. His hair was as
white as cotton, but his wrinkle face was hardly tanned and his eyes under his place eyelashes sparkle
like those of a young man.

Ngoe Tam kwew that the old man was the genii of medicine who travelled over the world on
his magic mountain to teach his skill to mortal and to relieve suffering. Ngoe Tam threw himself at
the feet.

The genii said” Knowing of your virtue, I have placed my mountain on your path. If you wish.
I will enroll you amongst my disciples”

Ngoe Tam thanked him humbly but vowed he would never leave his wife and begged and
genii to bring her to life again. The genii looked at him with kindness and pity in his eyes and said’
why do you cling to his life an illusion? What folly to trust being who is feeble and inconstant! I want
to grand your wish but I hope that in time to come you will not regret its fulfilment.’’

At his order Ngoe Tam opened the coffin and cutting the end of his finger let three drops of
blood fall on to body of Nhan deep. She opened her eyes slowly as if awakening from a deep sleep.
“Remember your duties, said the genii to her. “Think of what you owe your husband.”

Ngoe Tam, anxious to reach home, rowed night and day until one evening he landed at a
village to buy provisions, leaving Nhan Deep alone in the boat. While he was gone, a large barge
moored alongside and the owner, a rich merchant, was struck with the girl ‘s beauty. He talked to
Nhan Deep and invited her to take tea with him on his barge and, as soon as she was aboard, he set
sail.

Ngoe Tam found her after a month of creaseless searching, but Nhat Tam deep was living the
life of her dream and refused to return to their house with him. He saw her for the first time as she
was and curred of his blind love, said to her,” You are free but give me back the three drops of blood
I spent restoring you to life. I do not want you keep the least part of me,”

Nhan deep was overjoyed to be rid of him so easily and, snatching a knife, pricked the end of
her finger. As soon as the blood began to flow, she grew dreadfully pale and fell lifeless to the ground.

Nhan deep could not resign herself to his fate and returned to the world in the form of a little
and insect and purred Ngoe Tam, whining and pleading incessantly as she endeavored to steal the
three drops of blood which would restore her life.

Her race multiplied and his is show these pets we all know so well came into existence.