Mosquito and Thunder

Carl Johnson, my inspirational Greek-100 teacher, told this story:

Thunder asked Mosquito why he was so fat and happy. Mosquito, bloated with blood, thought to himself "if I tell Thunder that I draw this delicious and filling blood from people, he'll strike people and remove my source of sustenance". Mosquite therefore replied "I get this fat and happy from sucking the sap of the trees". And from that point on, Thunder struck the tops of trees.
Ralph Maud (“A Guide to B.C. Indian Myth and Legend [Talonbooks: 1982] --- my Nation is the Nhla7kapmx [the “7” represents a glottal stop] pages 64-69

Carl pointed out that this myth is often interpreted as a proto-scientific story - and explanation of why things are the way they are. However, he says, that does not do justice to the full richness of the story. When we are bitten to distraction by Mosquitos... the storyteller reminds us that if it wasn't for Mosquito, we'd have to deal being the target for Thunder.