The Basking Cyclone
Story Summary
In "The Basking Cyclone," a man mistaking a sleeping alligator for a log humorously contemplates using it for shingles for his cabin. When he pokes the alligator, it awakens and splashes into the water, leaving the man astonished and exclaiming about the chaos as if a cyclone had swept away his roof. This entertaining moral story serves as a delightful short bedtime tale for young readers, imparting lessons on perception and surprise.
Click to reveal the moral of the story
The moral of the story is that misjudging a situation or underestimating a potential threat can lead to unexpected and disastrous consequences.
Historical Context
This story reflects the rich tradition of African American folklore, which often blends humor with moral lessons and draws from the experiences of enslaved people and their descendants in the American South. The tale echoes motifs found in various oral traditions, such as the trickster archetype, reminiscent of characters like Br'er Rabbit from Uncle Remus tales, and highlights the resourcefulness and resilience of African Americans in the face of adversity. This particular anecdote illustrates the interplay between human and animal worlds, a common theme in folklore, while also providing social commentary on the struggles of daily life.
Our Editors Opinion
This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of underestimating risks and making assumptions about the world around us. In modern life, this can be reflected in scenarios such as a business owner who neglects to assess market competition, believing their product is secure; when a rival emerges, they are left scrambling to adapt and recover from unexpected losses.
You May Also Like
Wasted Sweets
In this thought-provoking tale, a candidate canvassing his district kisses a baby in a carriage, believing the moment to be heartwarming. However, he is confronted with the irony that the baby belongs to an orphan asylum, and the nurse caring for it is an inmate of an institution for the illiterate, deaf, and dumb. This story serves as a reminder of the deeper moral lessons often found in well-known moral stories, encouraging personal growth through storytelling with morals.
The Oak and the Woodcutters
In "The Oak and the Woodcutters," a Mountain Oak laments its fate as it is cut down and split apart by woodcutters wielding wedges made from its own branches. This poignant tale serves as one of the impactful moral stories often shared in childhood, illustrating that the misfortunes caused by one's own actions are the hardest to endure, making it a culturally significant moral story for class 7.
The Aethiop
In "The Aethiop," a man naively purchases a black servant, believing that his skin color is simply dirt that can be scrubbed away. Despite his relentless efforts, the servant's complexion remains unchanged, illustrating the life-lesson that inherent traits cannot be altered by external means. This short story with moral serves as a poignant reminder that what is bred in the bone will stick to the flesh, making it a compelling addition to uplifting moral stories and fable stories with moral.
Other names for this story
"Alligator's Wake," "Driftwood Dreams," "Surprise in the Swamp," "Cyclone Encounter," "Unexpected Visitor," "Cabin Crisis," "Saurian Surprise," "The Reckless Fisherman"
Did You Know?
This story humorously illustrates the theme of misjudgment and the unexpected consequences of underestimating the dangers in one's environment, as the man's mistaken belief about the alligator leads to a comical yet alarming realization.
Subscribe to Daily Stories
Get a new moral story in your inbox every day.