The Mosquito
A Tale from Laos
Mosquitoes are always annoying and sometimes unbearable, but few people know where
they come from 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 drams 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 trees. He landed and wandered enchanted trees. He reached the top of the hill
without knowing he was climbing and suddenly met an old man leaning on a bamboo staff. His
hair was as white as cotton, but his wrinkled face was hardly tanned and his eyes under his place
eyelashes sparkled like those of a young man
Ngoe Tam knew that the old man was the genii of medicine who traveled over the world
on his magic mountain to teach his skill to mortals and to relieve suffering. Ngoe Tam threw
himself at the fee. 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
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 a 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
fulfillment.’’
At his order, Ngoe Tam opened the coffin and cutting the end of his finger let three drops
of blood fall onto the 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 to 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 insect and purred NGOE Tam, whining and pleading incessantly as she endeavored to
steal the three drops of blood that would restore her life. Her race multiplied and his shows these
pets we all know so well came into existence.
