Bees and Flies Were Once Human Folktale
Traditional folktale originating among the tribal people of Ethiopia
African folktale bees and flies were once human is a daring folklore nature myth of receiving reward for being busy as a bee.
Two tribes of people who lived together were not
at all alike, for one of the tribes looked for food and carried it away to put
it up safely before the summer rains ended, while the other played and sang and
danced all day long.
"Come and play with us," said the lazy
people, but the busy workers answered, "No, come and work with us. The dry
months will soon be here and if we do not put up food now we shall have none
for the dry months."
So the busy people bought honey from the flowers,
but the lazy people kept on playing. They laughed together and whispered to one
another, "See those busy workers! They will have food for two tribes, and
they will give us some. Let us go and dance."
While the summer lasted, one tribe worked and the
other played. When the dry weather came, the busy workers were sorry for their
friends and said, "Let us give them some of our honey." So the people
who played had as much food as if they, too, had brought honey from the
flowers.
Another summer was coming, and the workers said,
"If we should make our home near the lilies that give us honey, it would
be easier to get our food." So the workers flew away, but the lazy people
played and danced as they had done before while their friends were near, for
they thought, "Oh, they will come back and bring us some honey."
The dry months came, but the lazy people had
nothing to eat, and the workers did not come with food. God of the earth said
to them, "Dear little workers, you shall no longer walk from flower to
flower. I will give you wings, and you shall be bees. Whenever men hear a
gentle humming, they will say, 'Those are the busy bees, and their wings were
given them because they were wise and good."
To the other tribe God of the earth said,
"You shall be flies, and you, too, shall have wings; but while the workers
fly from flower to flower and eat the yellow honey, you shall have for your
food only what has been thrown away.