Story: The Buffalo and the Bird

There once was a lake in the middle of the land that sourced water to many different animals. There was a crocodile, a lion, a turtle, a buffalo, and a bird.

The lake was always plentiful, even in the heat of the sun. The only problem with the lake was the flies.

The flies were everywhere, and bothered all the animals. Except, of course, the bird, because the flies knew that the bird would eat them.

One hot day, the bird was up in the tree, starving. He looked down upon the lake at the animals and saw them all suffering and getting sick from the flies. So, he thought he could help the other animals with their problem.

The bird flew first to the crocodile, and asked him if he wanted his assistance with his fly problem. The crocodile snapped at the bird, and told him to go away.

Then, the bird flew to the lion, and asked if he could help him get rid of the flies. The lion roared at the bird, and told him to leave him alone.

The bird tried to talk to the turtle in the water, but the turtle tried to grab the bird and pull him under the water, so he flew away.

Finally, the bird flew over to the buffalo and asked him desperately if he could help him with his fly problem. The buffalo was wise, and knew that the bird could help him with his fly problem, and that he could help feed the bird. The buffalo happily accepted the bird's offer.

The buffalo and the bird.

Source

The bird cursed the other animals. When the bird had children, he told them what the other animals had done to him, and told them that if they want to eat, they must only fly to the buffalo. The children thought they were smarter, though, and tried to eat the flies around the other animals.

The first child flew to the crocodile, but was swallowed whole in the attempt.

The next child flew to the lion, but was mangled, instead.

The next child flew to the turtle, but was drowned in the lake.

The next child was afraid to fly to any animal at all, and died from starvation.

The last child, however, listened to his mother, and flew directly to the buffalo and ate flies from the buffalo's back, and lived a long, happy, plentiful life.

The child taught his children about how to only eat from the buffalo, and told them about their aunts' and uncles' fates when they did not listen to their grandmother.

So from then on, every generation ate flies from the buffalo, and no other animal.

Today you can still witness the relationship between the buffalo and the bird.

Bibliography: Fillipino Popular Tales by Dean Fansler.

Author's Note:
I was inspired to write this story after reading the Fillipino Popular Tales about how animals became the way that they are today. You can find more information about this symbiotic relationship here