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Wild Flood

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African Folktale: The Story of Floods

In the olden days, the Flood lived among the people. The Flood was a stubborn calf, and his mother was the great River Cow. They were told to live at the edge of the village, far from the people’s huts, because of the calf’s restless nature.

Whenever the calf grew excited, he would charge about wildly. He splashed through farms, trampled the huts, and swept away everything in his path. The River Cow, his mother, would bellow loudly, warning him to stop. But the calf never listened; when his blood was hot, he would cause great destruction.

The people complained to the king. He told the River Cow to take her calf farther away, to live deep in the valley where no houses stood. But the calf still broke free whenever heavy rains fell, racing across the land, drowning crops and scattering the people.

At last, the king banished the River Cow and her calf from the village altogether, commanding them to live only in the deep rivers and wide lakes. There, their strength could be contained.

But even now, when rains are heavy, the calf breaks free. He rushes across the land, and you can hear his mother bellowing after him, calling him back. That is why floods still come, and why rivers are feared as well as respected.

Meaning of the Folktale

This African folktale explains the nature of floods through storytelling. The restless calf symbolizes the overflowing waters, while the River Cow represents the river itself. Together, they remind us that water gives life, but it can also bring destruction when balance is broken.