In the time when the earth was young and the world still searched for balance, the forest of Corisco Island was alive with birds, beasts, and streams. Antelopes leaped like arrows through the grass, crocodiles ruled the rivers, and leopards stalked the shadows. Yet in those early days there was no elephant. The land was vast, the trees were tall, but something was missing.
The earth itself grew weary. She bore the mountains upon her shoulders and held the rivers in her arms. Her forests spread wide, and her plains stretched far, yet the burden pressed heavily. One evening the earth sighed, her voice rolling like thunder. “Who will help me carry this weight? Who will bear my strength upon his back? I cannot hold it forever.”
The animals gathered. Tortoise, slow and thoughtful, shook his head. “I am steady, but I am too small. My shell cannot carry mountains.” Antelope stepped forward proudly. “I am swift,” he said, “but my legs are made for running, not for bearing loads.” Crocodile lifted his jaws above the water. “I am strong,” he boasted, “but only in the river. I cannot walk the wide forest.”
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None was able. The earth groaned once more, and her cry was heard across the land. “Then I shall make one who is different. He shall not only be strong but also patient. He shall remember what others forget. He shall walk with wisdom.”
That night the wind turned wild, the trees bent low, and the rivers trembled. From the soil itself rose a new creature. His body was vast, his legs stood like pillars, his trunk stretched like the branch of a tree, and his ears spread wide like great leaves. When the moonlight touched his eyes, they glowed with calm strength.
The earth declared, “Behold, this is Elephant. In him my strength shall rest, and through him my burden will be carried.”
From that day the elephant walked the forests. His heavy steps echoed like drums. His ears fanned the air. His memory reached deep into the past. He cleared paths where none existed, yet he harmed no creature along his way. When storms broke, he stood firm and gave shelter. When floods came, he guided the smaller animals to safe ground. His presence brought silence to quarrels, for his patience outweighed anger.
The people of the Benga watched him with awe. They saw that he was strong, yet never cruel. He carried his size with humility. They said, “The elephant carries the strength of the earth, and that is why his steps are heavy. His memory is long because he remembers the first cry of creation.”
And so the elephant became not just an animal but the guardian of the forest, the living strength of the earth itself.
Moral Lesson
True strength is more than muscle and size. It is patience, wisdom, and service. The elephant teaches that the greatest power is found in carrying burdens with humility and in protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
Knowledge Check
Q1: What African folktale explains the origin of the elephant?
A1: The Benga folktale from Corisco Island, Equatorial Guinea, tells how the earth created the elephant to carry her heavy burdens.
Q2: Why was the elephant created in the story?
A2: The elephant was created because the earth grew weary of holding mountains, rivers, and forests alone.
Q3: How is the elephant described in the folktale?
A3: The elephant is described as tall as a tree, with legs like pillars, ears like leaves, and eyes calm with wisdom.
Q4: What role does the elephant play in the forest?
A4: The elephant serves as a guardian, clearing paths, offering shelter, and protecting smaller animals.
Q5: What lesson does the origin of the elephant teach?
A5: The lesson is that real strength is humble, patient, and used to serve others.
Q6: What is the cultural origin of this story?
A6: This folktale comes from the Benga tribe of Corisco Island, Equatorial Guinea, recorded by Robert H. Nassau in Where Animals Talk (1914).
Cultural Origin
This tale comes from the Benga people of Corisco Island, Equatorial Guinea. It was collected and preserved by Robert H. Nassau in Where Animals Talk: West African Folklore Tales (1914).
