A long time ago, Queen Adiaha Umo ruled over Calabar. She was kind and loved to share. She often invited all the farm animals to big feasts, but she didn’t invite wild animals because she was afraid of them.
One day, the queen threw a huge feast with three big tables filled with food. She asked the cow, the biggest animal there, to sit at the head of the table and share the food with everyone.
The cow started handing out the first course of food to all the animals, but she forgot the little fly. The fly was so tiny that the cow didn’t notice him.
“Hey, cow!” the fly buzzed. “You forgot me! Where’s my food?”
“Be patient,” the cow replied. “I’ll take care of you later.”
When the second course came, the fly buzzed again, “Don’t forget me this time!”
But instead of giving him any food, the cow rolled her eyes and said, “Here, look at my eye! Maybe you’ll find something to eat there!”
The fly was confused and still didn’t get any food.
When the feast was over, all the food was gone, and the poor fly went to bed hungry.
The next morning, the fly complained to Queen Adiaha. The queen was upset and said, “Since the cow was in charge of the food but didn’t share with you, from now on, flies will take their food from a cow’s eyes. That way, the cow can never ignore you again.”
And even today, you can see flies buzzing around cows’ eyes, drinking the tears and getting their food, just like the queen decided long ago.
A long, long time ago, Queen Adiaha Umo ruled over the land of Calabar. She was a wonderful queen—kind, generous, and always ready to throw a party. And by “party,” I mean feasts so big you’d think she was trying to feed the whole planet.
Every time she hosted one of her legendary feasts, she invited the farm animals. Chickens, goats, sheep, you name it. But the wild animals? Nope, they weren’t invited. Not because she didn’t like them but because…well, they were wild. “Last time I invited a tiger, it ate the table,” she’d say. “And the chair. And the guest sitting in the chair!”
One sunny day, the queen decided to throw her biggest feast yet. Picture it: three massive tables covered with food. There were fruits piled like mountains, steaming soups, and bread so soft it looked like pillows. “This is going to be the feast of the century!” she announced.
To keep things organized, the queen put the cow—the biggest and most responsible animal—at the head of the table. “Cow, you’re in charge of sharing the food,” she said. “Be fair, okay?”
The cow nodded. “Fair as a pancake, Your Majesty!”
But as the feast began, something went wrong. The cow started passing out the food—big juicy apples to the goats, corn cobs to the chickens, and leafy greens to the sheep. Everyone was happily munching away…except for one tiny guest.
“Excuse me, cow!” buzzed the fly, who was hovering over the table like a tiny helicopter. “Hello! Down here! What about me?”
The cow squinted at the fly. “Oh, you’re so small, I thought you were a speck of dirt. I’ll get to you later.”
“Later?” the fly buzzed. “I’m starving now! Do you know how hard it is to buzz on an empty stomach?”
But the cow was already handing out more food, completely ignoring the fly.
When the second course arrived—golden biscuits dripping with honey—the fly zipped back to the cow. “Hey, cow! Don’t forget me this time! I’m still hungry!”
The cow rolled her big, tired eyes. “Fine, fly. If you’re so hungry, why don’t you look into my eye and see if there’s something in there? Maybe some leftover soup. Or a breadcrumb. Who knows?”
The fly blinked. “Did you just tell me to eat from your eye? That’s not food! That’s gross!”
“Then stop buzzing in my ear!” huffed the cow, flicking her tail.
By the time dessert rolled around—delicious cakes and puddings—the fly hadn’t had a single crumb. All the food was gone, and the fly buzzed off, his tiny belly rumbling like thunder.
The next morning, the fly went straight to Queen Adiaha. “Your Majesty,” he buzzed, “the cow didn’t give me any food! Not even a nibble! I was left so hungry, I tried eating my own shadow. Spoiler: it doesn’t taste like anything.”
The queen frowned. “The cow didn’t share with you? Oh, that’s not fair. Not fair at all! I’ll fix this.”
And with a wave of her royal hand, the queen declared, “From now on, flies will get their food directly from cows’ eyes. That way, no cow can ever ignore a fly again.”
The fly buzzed in delight. “Wait, really? That’s…weird, but okay! I mean, free food is free food!”
And ever since that day, flies have been buzzing around cows, sipping tears like tiny drinks. The cows don’t seem too happy about it, but hey—rules are rules.
In a kingdom long ago, so fair,
Queen Adiaha ruled with care.
Her feasts were grand, a joyful spree,
For farmyard friends, but not the free.
The wild ones stayed far away,
But farm animals came to play.
Three big tables, piled up high,
With food enough for all nearby.
“Dear Cow,” the queen said with a grin,
“You’re big and wise, so please begin.
Serve the food to all our friends,
Make sure the feast never ends!”
The cow stood tall and shared the treat,
From head to tail, each took a seat.
But little Fly, so small to see,
Was skipped—a sad calamity!
“Hey, Cow! You missed me, can’t you see?”
The fly buzzed loud, as loud could be.
“Be patient, Fly,” the cow replied,
“I’ll get to you, so step aside.”
The next course came, a tasty delight,
Fly buzzed again with all his might.
But Cow just laughed and rolled her eye,
“Go look there, Fly, don’t make me sigh!”
Poor little Fly was left ignored,
While all the others ate and roared.
The feast soon ended, the food was gone,
And hungry Fly flew off, withdrawn.
To Queen Adiaha, Fly did race,
Tears of hunger on his face.
“The Cow forgot me!” Fly complained,
The Queen frowned hard, her anger unchained.
“The Cow shall learn,” the Queen decreed,
“To never forget another’s need.
From now on, Fly, you’ll take your share,
From the Cow’s eyes—your food is there!”
And even today, as cows stand still,
Flies buzz ‘round with hungry will.
They sip the tears, a lasting tale,
Of kindness lost, and justice’ scale.
A king's elephant and a dog form a friendship, are suddenly separated, but they are reunited by the king and live happily.
A lion spares a tiny mouse who promises to return the favor one day. How could such a small mouse possibly help a lion?
A thirsty crow finds a pitcher with water too low to reach. What clever trick will he use to get a drink?
When a farmer brings a bundle of sticks to his sons, they stop arguing. How did a simple bundle of sticks teach them?
Steady and patient, a slow tortoise dares to race against a confident hare. Who will cross the finish line first?
While the grasshopper dances through summer, the ant works hard, gathering food. Which one will survive when winter arrives?
The powerful North Wind and the gentle Sun try to make a traveler take off his cloak to prove who is stronger. Which one will succeed?
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