Mosquito

Once upon a time there lived a farmer. He was very hard working and laboured long hours on his farm. The farmer had a wife whom he loved dearly however, she was lazy and lived for the luxuries of the world.

The farm stretched for miles, rolling over small hills, blanketing the fertile soil. Every evening, the farmer would look out over the days work at the sun sinking among vast hues of the cloudless sky. He was satisfied with the life he had made for himself.

The farmer's wife was very beautiful. Her long black hair flowed across her shoulders like a waterfall. Anyone who gazed upon her deep brown eyes instantly developed a fondness for her. A voice as soft as silk in a gentle summer breeze and skin as smooth as a china doll's. She surrounded herself in material goods as beautiful as her.

One day, the wife suddenly fell very ill and died. Her skin turned pale and her eyes turned to glass. The farmer was so upset about the sudden loss of his beloved spouse that he refused to leave her side; she did not have a burial because he could not bear to be parted from her.

Fleeing the torment of the villagers, the farmer absconded with the corpse by boat. He rowed and rowed for days across the misty ocean until his boat washed up on the shore of a remote island.

A genie lived on this mysterious island and came to greet his visitors. The farmer desperately explained that the health of his wife had rapidly deteriorated and she had quickly died. He begged the genie to bring her back to life and promised he would not regret it.

The genie agreed.

The farmer cut his finger and let three drops of crimson blood fall onto his former wife's lifeless body. The genie whispered into the wife's ear. She awoke as if from a deep sleep, fluttering her eyelashes. The farmer thanked the geenie for what he had done and rowed away with his wife.

The farmer rowed day and night until they reached land. While they were there, the wife met a young merchant. He took a liking to her, told her she was beautiful and gave her expensive gifts. The wife and the merchant sailed away together. The farmer realised what happened and chased after them. When he had finally caught up to their boat, he asked to speak with the wife.

"I understand if you want to leave me." said the farmer morosely, "All I ask is that you give me three drops of blood in return for resurrecting you."

The wife understood his simple request and cut her finger. She let three drops of blood escape her. She then turned extremely pale and all her life left her. Her body morphed into an insect. She was angry at the farmer for tricking her and so she buzzed around him. He went home and she followed.

He called her Mosquito, and for the rest of their lives she buzzed about, hungry for her three drops of blood. Unfortunately for the people of Vietnam, her species multiplied rather rapidly and now buzz around, pestering in the hope of gaining three drops of blood.