Long ago, when the world was still simple and humans lived closely with nature, the sky was not far above the earth as it is today. It hung very low, so close that people could reach up and touch it with their hands. People believed that the sky itself provided food, and whenever they felt hungry, they simply reached upward, broke off a small piece of the sky, and brought it home to cook.
In those days, people did not need to farm or hunt. The sky generously gave them food every day, and taking only a small amount was enough to feed an entire family. For a long time, humans lived peacefully without fear of hunger or hardship.
Over time, however, people became careless and greedy. They no longer took food with respect or moderation. While cooking, many broke off large pieces of the sky, used only a small portion, and threw the rest away. Others dropped pieces onto the ground, stepped on them, or allowed them to rot without concern.
The sky watched these actions closely. Day after day, it saw more of its gift being wasted. Humans no longer showed gratitude or care for what was freely given to them. The repeated waste and disrespect deeply troubled the sky.
Eventually, the sky felt hurt and insulted. It decided that it could no longer remain close to humans. One day, the sky slowly began to rise, moving higher and higher, until no human hand could reach it anymore.
The people panicked. They cried out and begged the sky to return, but it was too late. The sky had moved far away, leaving humanity below with nothing but regret. From that moment on, people were forced to work for their survival. They had to farm the land, hunt animals, and struggle daily for food instead of receiving it easily.
Since that day, the sky has remained distant, and humans have always had to look upward, remembering a time when everything they needed was close at hand but not properly valued.
This traditional African folktale is often told to children as a powerful reminder that greed, wastefulness, and a lack of respect for precious gifts can cause people to lose great blessings forever.