The Forest of the Talking River
“Respect the forest, and it will respect you.”
Long ago, when the Ewondo people first settled near the great forests of the Sanaga, there was a river whose waters shimmered silver under the moonlight. The people called it Mfoundi, and they believed it carried the voices of the ancestors. When one leaned close at night, the river did not whisper—it spoke.
The Gift of the River
The river told the elders:
“So long as you protect the forest, its trees, and its creatures, I will protect you in times of need.”
And so, every season, the Ewondo offered libations at the riverbank—wine from palm trees, roasted plantains, and kola nuts. The children were told never to throw dirt or blood into its waters, for that would silence the voices.
The Hunter’s Folly
One dry season, a hunter named Mefane ignored the warnings. Driven by greed, he washed the blood of a giant antelope in the sacred waters. That night, the river grew wild, flooding the forest paths. When the villagers came to plead, the water roared with a deep voice:
“Your greed has stained the bond. One must pay.”