Long ago in the wide lands where the Chokwe people lived, the rivers flowed like silver ribbons, and the forests whispered secrets to anyone willing to listen. Among the villages scattered across these lands, there was a story that every elder told by the fireside, a tale about a stone that could sing.
It began in a small village where a young hunter named Kalunga lived. Kalunga was strong, but more than strength, he was known for his restless spirit. He often wandered beyond the usual paths, searching for things no one else dared to seek. One morning, after a restless night filled with dreams of drums and voices, he rose before the sun and followed the sound of distant humming. He walked past the edge of the forest and into a clearing no one had spoken of before. There, resting at the center, was a stone as smooth as water-polished wood and glowing faintly like embers at dusk. From it came a low, beautiful song that carried across the clearing.
Kalunga fell to his knees, awestruck. The stone sang in a voice that was neither man nor woman, neither near nor far. Its song told of rivers older than time, of ancestors who had crossed great plains, and of spirits who lingered, waiting for the living to remember them. Kalunga listened until tears filled his eyes.
He rushed back to his village and cried out, “Come, come! There is a stone that sings like a drum of the spirits!” The villagers laughed, for Kalunga was known to tell wild tales. But an elder, a wise woman named Nandjila, silenced them. “The boy’s spirit is restless, but his eyes do not lie,” she said. She followed Kalunga to the clearing, and when she heard the stone’s voice, her face grew solemn.
“The spirits are speaking,” Nandjila whispered. “This is no stone of the earth. It is a messenger.”
News spread quickly, and soon the villagers gathered around the singing stone. Some listened with reverence, bowing their heads. Others dreamed of riches, imagining they could cut the stone and sell its magic. Tensions grew as voices rose, each person demanding a say in what should be done.
Kalunga, caught in the middle, felt torn. He wanted to protect the stone, yet the hunger in some men’s eyes troubled him. One man, Chisenga, a wealthy trader with a heart like iron, declared, “The stone belongs to us all. Let us break it apart and take what we can.” But Nandjila raised her staff and thundered, “If you strike the stone, you strike the voices of your ancestors. Who among you dares such a crime?”
That night, as the village argued, Kalunga sat alone by the stone. The song was softer now, almost like a lullaby. “What do you want from us?” he asked. The stone’s voice replied like wind through reeds, “Remember us. Carry our stories. Do not bury your hearts in greed.”
Kalunga understood. He returned to the village and pleaded, “This stone is not ours to take. It is here to remind us of who we are. If we destroy it, we silence ourselves.” But Chisenga and his followers ignored him. Before dawn, they carried hammers to the clearing.
When the first strike fell, the air trembled. The stone let out a wail so piercing that the trees shook and birds scattered into the sky. The earth beneath them cracked, and Chisenga was thrown to the ground. The men fled in terror, leaving their tools behind.
For three days, the stone sang a mournful song that echoed through every hut, filling the people with sorrow. Then, on the fourth day, the singing stopped. The clearing became silent, and the stone turned cold, its glow gone forever.
The villagers wept, realizing too late what they had lost. Nandjila gathered them and said, “The stone has returned to the spirits. It gave us a gift, but greed deafened our ears.” From that day on, the people honored the memory of the stone through song. Kalunga became a singer of stories, traveling from village to village to remind others of what happens when memory is abandoned for selfish gain.
And though the stone no longer sang, its story lived on, carried in the voices of the people.
Moral Lesson of The Stone That Sang: The tale of the stone teaches that wisdom and memory are greater treasures than wealth. When we allow greed to lead us, we silence the very voices that guide us. But when we listen with humility, we keep alive the spirits of those who came before us. The song of the ancestors is not meant to be owned or broken; it is meant to be remembered and shared.
Knowledge Check
- What is the main lesson of The Stone That Sang folktale?
The story teaches that greed destroys wisdom and heritage, while respect and humility preserve the voices of the ancestors. - Why did the Chokwe villagers value the singing stone in the story?
Some saw it as a sacred messenger of the ancestors, while others viewed it as a chance for wealth. - Who was Kalunga in The Stone That Sang folktale?
Kalunga was the curious young hunter who discovered the singing stone and defended its sacred purpose. - What happened when Chisenga tried to break the stone in The Stone That Sang?
The stone cried out, the earth trembled, and it stopped singing forever, showing the consequences of greed. - How does The Stone That Sang reflect Chokwe cultural traditions?
It mirrors the Chokwe use of oral stories to teach respect for ancestors, the land, and the dangers of greed. - Why is The Stone That Sang important in African folklore?
It shows how African folktales use symbols, like a singing stone, to preserve memory and pass on moral lessons.
Cultural Origin: This folktale comes from the Chokwe people of Angola, whose oral traditions use symbols, music, and ancestral memory to guide communities and teach values through storytelling.
