"What can the mosquito be good for? why was it created in the world? It
but disturbs our comfort, and the world profits not by its existence."
Yet King David lived to discover that these very insects, and the very
condition of life, the being of which he deplored, were ordained even to
his own benefit.
When he fled from before Saul, David was captured in the land of the
Philistines by the brothers of Goliath, who carried him before the King
of Gath, and it was only by pretending idiocy that he escaped death, the
king deeming it impossible that such a man could be the kingly David; as
it is written, "And he disguised his reason before their eyes, and
played the madman in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the
gate, and let his spittle run down upon his beard."
Upon another occasion David hid himself in the cave of Adullam, and
after he had entered the cave it chanced that a spider spun a web over
the opening thereto. His pursuers passed that way, but thinking that no
one could have entered the cave protected by the spider's web without
destroying it, they continued on their way.
The mosquito also was of service to David when he entered the camp of
Saul to secure the latter's weapon. While stooping near Abner, the
sleeping man moved and placed his leg upon David's body. If he moved, he
would awake Abner and meet with death, if he remained in that position
morning would dawn and bring him death; he knew not what to do, when a
mosquito alighted upon Abner's leg; he moved it quickly, and David
escaped.