The Fable of the Lonely Toucan (Mexican Folktale)

The Fable of the Lonely Toucan is a folktale from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It’s an Aesopic fable about the hidden self-interest hidden beneath most friendships. I’ll explain the moral at the end.

This is a retelling in my own words.

The Fable

Long ago, in the dark heart of the jungle, there lived an eristic crocodile. He was cold to every animal except for one: the jaguar. He would let the jaguar sip from the lagoon, and in return, the jaguar would drop down treats from the trees above. As they shared their food and drink, they would talk of philosophy, arguing deep into the night.

The other jungle animals were envious of the jaguar’s friendship with the crocodile. They, too, wanted to sip from the lagoon. So they would bring the crocodile gifts, hoping to win his favour. It didn’t work.

The loneliest of the animals was the toucan. He collected fruits and berries, lizards, rodents, small birds, and an assortment of insects, and he gave them away to everyone, hoping to win a friend. It didn’t work.

One day, feeling disheartened, the toucan approached the crocodile. “Crocodile,” the toucan lamented, “I try so hard to be good. I am gentle, and kind, and I give gifts to everyone. Yet I have no friends. How is it that you, who are cold to everyone but the jaguar, have every creature in the jungle trying to befriend you?”

The crocodile narrowed his eyes. “Toucan,” he replied, “you are a lovely bird indeed. If being a good creature is your goal, you do not need friends. You have already succeeded.”

The toucan hesitated before admitting, “I do want to be a good creature, but I also desire the warmth of friendship.”

The crocodile thought for a moment. “The jaguar knows that if he wants to sip at the lagoon, he needs to feed me the very best meat. No other animal can find better meat than the jaguar, so I have no need for other friends. However, everyone wants to sip at the lagoon, so they all pester me constantly.”

The toucan was still confused. “If the jaguar gives you everything you need, then why not let the other animals sip at the lagoon? Why not be friends with everyone?”

The crocodile chuckled. “If I let animals sip at the lagoon for giving me mangos, coconuts, and cockroaches, then why would the jaguar go to the trouble of bringing me peccary and deer?”

The Meaning & the Moral

The moral of the story is somewhat grim. It posits that many friendships are rooted in self-interest. Many people gravitate towards fruitful alliances, forming friendships that improve their lives.

The toucan can’t make any friends because he gives out gifts to everyone, regardless of how they treat him, so there’s no benefit to treating him better. They may as well invest their efforts elsewhere.

The crocodile has something of value, and he wants to keep that value high, so he makes it exclusive. That exclusivity makes his offering more desirable to the people who can afford it.

Not all friendships are the same, of course. Still, it helps to explain the mystery of why some nice people struggle to make friends. It isn’t that they aren’t amiable. It’s that there’s too little to be gained from becoming their friend. Sometimes the solution is to become more useful, more loyal, or more discerning.

Similar Fables

If you liked The Fable of the Lonely Toucan, you might like similar folktales. Here are some of my favourites:

• The Black Sheep is another Mexican fable. It’s quite strange.
• The Frogs and the Ox is about comparing yourself to others.
• The Two Horses is a fable about the danger of laziness.

Or if you want to go beyond fables, you might like the disturbing true story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Questions? Thoughts? Leave a comment below.