Long ago, when the world was still soft and young, the creatures of the Georgia marshlands lived in harmony under the wide Southern sun. The rivers ran cool and clear, cypress trees rose from the swamps, and the air shimmered with the hum of life. Among all these creatures, none was prouder than Alligator.
Back then, Alligator’s skin gleamed smooth and golden-green like river glass. His scales caught the sunlight in bright flashes, and he spent his days lounging along the banks where the reeds whispered. Wherever he went, smaller creatures made way, not because he was kind, but because he was feared.
Alligator liked it that way. He strutted through the shallows, flicking his tail proudly and grinning with rows of sharp white teeth. If Turtle or Frog greeted him, he’d barely nod. And if he caught sight of Buzzard circling in the sky, he’d laugh his deep, booming laugh.
“Look at that ugly bird,” Alligator sneered one day. “Feathers black as tar, head bare and wrinkled! Always hanging around the dead! You should hide yourself, Buzzard, instead of flying so high!”
Buzzard, circling above, heard every word. He had lived a long time and knew that pride often walks hand in hand with foolishness. He swooped low, landing on a nearby log, and looked Alligator square in the eye.
“Alligator,” said Buzzard calmly, “the Creator gave each of us our place. You were made for the river; I was made for the sky. You may mock my looks, but beware, pride comes before a fall.”
Alligator just chuckled, his eyes gleaming with arrogance. “Fall? Me? I’m king of this swamp! No creature dares to challenge me.”
Buzzard spread his wide wings and lifted his head to the sky. “We’ll see,” he said. “Maybe the sun will teach you some humility.”
Alligator laughed again, but Buzzard’s words carried power. He rose into the heavens, high and higher still, until he was just a dark speck against the blazing blue. There, he whispered to the great Sun, who watched over all the earth.
“Brother Sun,” said Buzzard, “shine your brightest light upon the river today. There’s one down below who needs to learn a lesson.”
The Sun, who had seen Alligator’s vanity for many days, agreed. “Then let my rays be his teacher,” said the Sun, and he began to blaze with all his might.
The marshlands shimmered with heat. The air turned thick and heavy. The reeds drooped, the water steamed, and the sky glowed white with fire. Even the stones along the riverbank seemed to sigh.
Alligator, who had been basking proudly, felt the burning first on his back. “What’s this?” he muttered, shifting from one foot to another. “A little heat won’t hurt me.”
But soon, the heat grew fiercer. The Sun poured down with no mercy, and Alligator’s shiny skin began to dry and tighten. He thrashed his tail and hissed in pain.
“Too hot! Too hot!” he cried. “I’ll just cool myself in the river.”
He slid into the water, but even that was warm, hotter than bathwater, boiling with sunlight. Still, he stayed there, thinking he could outlast the heat. But the days passed, and the Sun did not rest. It blazed down day after day, while Buzzard watched from high above.
At last, the mighty Alligator could bear no more. He sank to the bottom of the river, hiding under mud and roots where the sunlight could not reach. There he stayed, silent and still, for many days.
When the Sun finally softened and the air cooled, Alligator rose slowly to the surface. The world felt different, quieter somehow. He blinked against the golden light and looked down at himself. Gone was the smooth, shiny skin he had once been so proud of. In its place was a thick, rough hide, cracked, ridged, and hard like bark.
Alligator let out a low, mournful sound. His vanity had been burned away, replaced with the memory of his pain. From that day on, he never mocked Buzzard or any other creature again. He learned to keep close to the water, humbler and wiser than before.
As for Buzzard, he continued to soar gracefully over the swamps, never boasting, never cruel. Sometimes, when he passed overhead, Alligator would lift his rough head and nod in respect. And Buzzard, wise and patient, would dip his wings in return, a silent reminder that pride, like the sun, can scorch those who stand too high.
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Moral Lesson
Pride can blind us to wisdom and lead to our downfall. True strength lies in humility, for those who mock others may one day be humbled themselves.
Knowledge Check
1. Who are the main characters in “Why the Alligator’s Back Is Rough”?
The story features Alligator, the proud river creature, and Buzzard, the wise bird who teaches him humility.
2. What causes Alligator’s smooth skin to become rough?
The Sun, called by Buzzard, burns Alligator’s skin after he mocks others, teaching him a lesson in humility.
3. What lesson does the folktale teach?
It teaches that pride and vanity can bring suffering, while humility earns respect and peace.
4. What natural element plays a symbolic role in the story?
The Sun represents justice and divine balance, punishing arrogance and restoring order to nature.
5. Where did this folktale originate?
This story comes from the Gullah tradition of the Georgia Sea Islands, part of African American folklore in the U.S. South.
6. How does Alligator change by the end of the story?
He becomes humble and respectful, recognizing that every creature has value in the Creator’s design.
Source:
Adapted from Drums and Shadows: Survival Studies among the Georgia Coastal Negroes, ed. Mary Granger (1940), WPA Georgia Writers’ Project.
Cultural Origin: African American Folklore, Gullah, Georgia Sea Islands, USA.
