Why The Sun and the moon live in the sky

Why The Sun and

The Moon Live In The

Sky

FaSade

G.

Fagoroye

Forewords

This is a retelling of an old folktale told by the Efik people of southern Nigeria.

O

nce upon a time Sun and Water were very good friends

and even bigger rivals.

T

hey would constantly fight and argue over everything:

who could run the fastest?

or who could throw the farthest?

even who had the prettiest wife.

One day, as the two were sitting and chatting together, a very particular thought came to Sun. "My dear old friend,” he told his companion, unable to hold back any longer, “you have invited me to your home many times, yet you have never allowed me to return your generosity. Why is that so?”

W

ater patted his friend's shoulder kindly and gave a hearty chuckle, “I am sorry my good friend-- I've never

meant any offense, but... I doubt that your home is big enough to house me, let alone all my people.” Sun, who could not help feeling a little offended by this, said, “But you see my dear friend it is.”

“Is that so?”, Water said, now very amused. “It will have to be a great compound, no—”, he corrected himself with another laugh, “It will have to be a gigantic compound, with many, many rooms.” Sun, who had always prided himself for his large estate had soon grown very annoyed at his friend. “I’ll show him”, he told himself, “and then I will be the one to laugh.” No matter how many times Water tried to warn his colleague, he was tirelessly reassured.

“In two days” the sun promised his friend fiercely, “you will come over to my home and you will be amazed." And with that, he stomped away before the other could say another word.

B

ut when Sun returned home that

day, he began to feel less and less sure.

Maybe, he thought worriedly, “it's really not as gigantic or great as I believed.

Perhaps it's not even big at all.”

W

hen Sun’s wife, the moon, greeted

him later that day with a broad smile, he glumly told her what he had promised his friend.

“My husband”, she scolded him gently, “why must you always compete with water on everything? It is true that our home is very grand, but if it is not grand enough for Water then that is how it shall be. You have been friends for a very long time, why must this change anything?", she asked.

A

s night fell upon earth the husband and wife soon took to

their beds. Although the moon was fast asleep the sun was still restless.

“I’ll just add one extra room” he finally decided, “I know my house is great," he told himself, " I know my house is big, and I know my house is gigantic but it wouldn't hurt if it was colossal as well.”

Unable to fall asleep Sun hurriedly began to construct a new room.

When that was done, he built another, and another, and another, and another

Until morning arrived. .

I

“

just need to build one more room and then I will

be done,” he would tell himself or, " I just need to widen the courtyard just a little bit, and then I will put down my tools."

Each time Moon saw her husband hard at work she would shake her head sadly. She knew that her husband was too stubborn and that no amount of persuading would ever make him come to his senses.

When the day had come and gone, Sun had put down his tools and stared at his work. It wasn’t big, he thought to himself. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t even gigantic;

It was colossal.

That night, when Sun tucked himself into bed, he had no doubt that he would astonish his friend. And with that in mind, he quickly fell asleep.

N

ow when Water finally arrived the next day, he could

not help but laugh out loud. “Dear friend you have a magnificent home beyond compare, but I'm afraid I am still right. It simply is too small to house me and my people.”

“But you see old companion,” Sun answered still full of pride, “It is only that way on the outside. You must come inside and truly see for yourself.”

“Alright”, said Water with another chortle and then he began to flow inside.

Soon he was followed by…

The Crab

The Serpent

S

“

hall I keep going? Water asked;

“Yes,” said Sun. And more water rushed in followed by…

And the Snail

The Fish

The Crocodile

And the Hippo

W

hen Water reached the very top of his head, Sun heard

his guest called out once more. But, still filled with pride, he told his friend to keep going.

W

ater flowed

and flowed and flowed followed by the whale and the shark and every single water animal you can imagine in between.

Before Sun knew it, he and his wife were perched on top of his castle’s highest peak.

Again, Water asked, and again Sun gave his same response-- for he was still too stubborn to admit that he was wrong.

No sooner had the words left his lips, Water began to quickly crash over the top of the roof. “Stop!” “Stop!” Sun began to cry out, finally realizing his mistake-

B

ut it was far too late. Water could not here his friend over the roar of his waves and the chattering of his people.

As he rose higher and higher, the sun was forced to take his family and flee into the sky.

A

lthough it took his wife and their children some time,

they finally forgave him, for what else was there to do?

They learned laugh about the matter and they learned to live in the clouds. And soon, they had begun to see the same beauty in the sky, as they had once seen land, and this is where they have all remained….

ever since.

Sources Dayrell, Elphinstone. Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa. London: Longman, Green, 1910; reprinted New York: Negro Universities Press, 1969, folktale 16, pages 64-65.

Legge, Willow. An African Folktale. 62/200 ed., Guildford: Circle Press Publication, 1979, Artists' Book's and Africa, library.si.edu/exhibition/artists-books-and-africa/african-folktale-full.