The Mosquito and the Carpenter
Also known as Makasa Jataka
- 2 minute read
- Ages 6-10
- Jataka Tales
In a village of carpenters there lived a father and a son who worked together.
The father was skilled and patient. The son was strong, willing and not at all clever, and everybody in the village knew it, and everybody was fond of him anyway.
The mosquito
One hot afternoon the father was working at his bench when a mosquito landed on his bald head and bit him.
He did not stop working.
"Son," he said, "there is a mosquito on my head. Brush it off, would you."
The son put down what he was holding and came over, and looked at his father's head, and there it was.
And he thought about it.
This mosquito had bitten his father. A hand would only move it. It would come straight back and bite him again, and the afternoon would go on like this. What was needed was something final.
He went to the wall and took down the largest axe in the workshop.
The blow
"Keep still," he said.
His father, still working, kept still.
The son took careful aim at the mosquito, because he wanted to be sure of hitting it, and brought the axe down with all the strength he had.
He got the mosquito.
The village
The neighbours came in when they heard, and stood in the doorway, and none of them knew what to say.
The oldest carpenter in the village looked at the son sitting on the floor, who did not yet fully understand what he had done and was only aware that something had gone terribly wrong.
"He loved his father," said someone.
"He did," said the old man. "That is exactly the trouble. An enemy would have wanted to miss."
Moral of the story
A loving fool is more dangerous than a careful enemy. Wanting to help does not make your judgement sound, and strength without sense is the worst combination there is.
Questions and answers
- What was the son like?
He was strong, willing and devoted to his father, but he had very poor judgement and everyone in the village knew it.
- What did the father ask him to do?
To brush a mosquito off his bald head.
- Why did the son fetch an axe?
He reasoned that brushing the mosquito away would only make it return, so something more final was needed.
- What went wrong?
He struck at the mosquito on his father's head with full force, killing his father.
- What did the old carpenter mean about an enemy wanting to miss?
That an enemy would have been aiming to cause harm and might have failed. The son was aiming to help and did not miss, which is why the outcome was worse.
Word meanings
- carpenter
- A person who makes things out of wood.
- bench
- A long sturdy table used for working.
- final
- Ending something completely.
- judgement
- The ability to make sensible decisions.
Questions about The Mosquito and the Carpenter
What is the moral of The Mosquito and the Carpenter?
That a foolish friend is more dangerous than a wise enemy. Good intentions do not make an action safe.
Is this story too dark for children?
It suits ages six and above. The blow itself is not described and the story cuts straight to the neighbours. Many Indian schoolbooks include it, though some adults prefer to wait until seven or eight.
Is the son blamed in the story?
No, and that is deliberate. Nobody in the village calls him wicked. The whole weight of the tale falls on his judgement, not his character.
What is this tale called in the original?
The Makasa Jataka, meaning 'the mosquito'.