In the beginning, the sky was so close to the earth that people could touch it. No one had to farm or hunt; whenever they were hungry, they simply tore off a piece of the sky to eat. It tasted like delicious stew or sweet fruit. The Sky God, Nyame, had only one rule: 'Do not take more than you can eat, for I will not be wasted.' For a long time, the people were grateful. But eventually, they grew careless. One afternoon, a woman was pounding grain with a long wooden pestle. Each time she lifted the heavy pole, it bumped against the soft clouds. 'Move up!' she grumbled, annoyed by the low ceiling. She then took a massive piece of the sky, far more than she could finish, and threw the remains into a rubbish heap. Offended by her wastefulness and the constant thumping of her pestle, the sky began to drift upward. The people cried out in regret, but the sky kept moving until it was far out of reach. From that day on, the people had to toil in the fields to survive.
Greed and wastefulness lead to the loss of divine blessings, and we must respect the resources provided to us.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of The Sky Moves Higher?
The story teaches that selfishness and wastefulness have consequences. It reminds us to be grateful for what we have and to respect the natural and divine world.
Why did the sky move away from the earth?
The sky moved away because humans became wasteful and repeatedly struck it with their pestles while pounding grain. This lack of respect and care caused the Sky God to retreat out of reach.
Which culture does this story come from?
This is a popular West African folktale, most notably attributed to the Ashanti people of Ghana. It serves as a myth to explain why the world requires hard labor today.
What did the sky taste like in the legend?
In the myth, the sky was edible and tasted like delicious stew, sweet honey, or rich fruit. It provided all the nourishment humans needed without any labor.
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Good night.
