Why People Rule the Earth: An African Folktale

Long ago, when the earth was first beginning, the animals of the forest did not live together peacefully. The Great Spirit, anxious for harmony, called the animals to a meeting in the center of the forest. There, the animals learned one of the creatures of the forest would be chosen to rule the earth and bring peace to the land.

To accomplish this, The Great Spirit devised a test. Atop an enormous pile of wood, The Great Spirit set a gourd. The one who could retrieve the gourd and find the key to life would become the ruler of the earth. The animals thought this to be a very simple test until, to their surprise, the pile of wood burst into flames.

What happened to the animals as they tried to retrieve the gourd and the lessons they learned from their efforts are the story of Why People Rule the Earth.

Why People Rule the Earth: An African Folktale is an authentic tale in the oral tradition of the Baluba people who live along the River Lwembe in north-central Shaba, the southern portion of The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire.

From 1971-1974, I worked in every province of Zaire developing programs in sport and public health. This tale is one of many told to me as gifts from village griots who serve as historians and genealogists and who instruct village children in the folk wisdom of the tribe. Talking animals often inhabit these stories and humor helps to make clear some of the story's profound truths.