Why The Sky Is Far Away

WHY THE SKY IS FAR AWAY
(Nigerian Folktale)
In the beginning, they sky was close to the earth. So close you could reach up and touch it. And you
could eat it! In those days, people always had enough to eat, without ever having to work for it. Men and
women did not have to plow the fields and sow the seeds and gather the crops. Children did not have to fetch
sticks for the fire. Whenever anybody was hungry, they just reached up and tore off a piece of the sky.
But people grew careless with the sky's gifts. They broke off more than they needed. After all, the sky
was so big; there would always be enough for everybody. Who cared about a little wasted sky?
But the sky cared. Soon the sky's sorrow turned to resentment, and its resentment grew to anger. "I offer
myself every day to these people," the sky brooded, "and they throw me away, half eaten, like garbage."
"People of Earth!" The sky's eyes flashed light lightning. Clouds bubbled and boiled. "You have not
treated me with respect. You have wasted my gifts. I warn you. If you are greedy, I will leave. I will move far
away."
The people listened and promised to be more careful.
After that, no one broke off more than they could eat. And they always remembered to thank the sky.
1. What people could do to the sky in the beginning of the world?

a. They could reach to touch and eat it.
b. They could fly and be on top of it.
c. They could plow seeds on it.
d. They could touch and play with it.
2. What people do whenever they are hungry.
a. They will plant a lot of grains on the sky.
b. They will reach up the sky and get a piece of it.
c. They will ask the sky to give them foods.
d. They will ask for rain so that their plants will grow fast.
3. What did the people promised to the sky?
a. They promised to take what all the sky could give.
b. The promised to give something to sky.
c. They promised to be careful, treat the sky with respect and not waste its gifts.
d. They promised to listen to the sky and take more than what the sky could give.
4. What should the people do so that the sky will not leave?
a. They will surely keep their promise to treat the sky with respect.
b. They will just let the sky be angry to them.
c. They will not eat anything from the sky.
d. They will surely make offerings to the sky.
5. If you were one of the people in the story, what must you do to let the sky leave?
a. I must tell the people to work and not depend on the what the sky could give.
b. I must be careful on what I get from the sky, take only what I need and thank him always.
c. I must not listen to the sky and just get as much as I can.
d. I must thank the sky and let him leave.
WHY THE SKY IS FAR AWAY
(Nigerian Folktale)
Story continuation…
But then the time came for the greatest festival of the year, in honor of the chief of the kingdom. The night rang
with music. Bells clanged and drums banged. People stamped and clapped and laughed.
The tables were heaped with dishes of specially prepared sky. Sky in every flavor, from custard apple to coco
plum. There was plenty for everyone, for the sky was generous. It trusted the people to take only what they needed.
But there was one woman who was never satisfied. Osato always wanted more. Her arms were heavy with brass
bracelets. But brass wasn't good enough for her—she wanted coral beads. And most of all, she loved to eat.
First she helped herself to a handful of noon-yellow sky that tasted like pineapple. Chunk after chunk disappeared
into her mouth. Then she ladled out some sky stew, spicy and warm. She lifted the dish to her lips, draining it, dumplings
and all. Soon her stomach was stuffed. She loosened her robe. What next? Delicate slices of morning sky, pink and
glistening. With a swift movement, she scooped them up and slurped them down all at once.
At last the tables were empty. And Osato was full. She waddled home.
She was full to bursting, but her eyes kept wandering up to the sky. What would it taste like right now? Citrus storms?
Her taste buds tingled. Luscious mango? Her mouth watered. Honey sunsets? She licked her lips.
Her fingers began to pull out her spoon — the one she kept tucked in her headscarf — just in case. She stopped
herself just in time. Osato knew that the sky offered itself only because no one ever took more than they needed. And she
knew she didn't need any more. But oh, how she wanted some! Just one more spoonful.
"The sky is so huge," Osato said to herself. "It can't hurt just to have a little bit more."
She pulled out her spoon and plunged it in. She savored a mouthful of sky. And another. She threw down her spoon
and scooped with her hands, sucking the delicious sky from her fingertips.
Finally, without another thought, Osato pulled down a great slab of sky. Enough to feed a family for weeks. She
licked all around the edges, chewing more slowly now. She stared up at the huge hole above her. She stared down at the
enormous mound of sky. And she knew she had taken more than even she could eat. Above her head, there were rumblings.
"What have I done?" Osato gasped. "I cannot waste this sky. What shall I do?"
She called to her husband to help, but he had been feasting too and was slumped in his chair, too full even to move.
Still, he managed a few mouthfuls.
She called to her children to help, but they too were full of the wonderful feast. Still, they forced down a few
fingerfuls.
She called to her neighbors to help, but they had been at the festival too and at the sight of more food, they held their
stomachs and groaned. But they ate as much as they could, with worried frowns on their faces and anxious glances above their
heads.
But even with the help of the entire village, they could not eat that last piece of sky. Osato had taken too much. "What
does it matter?" Osato told herself at last. "Just a bit of waste." But the feeling in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise. No
one slept well that night.
The next morning, the sky did not offer his food to the people. Parents had nothing for breakfast. Children cried,
hungry. Osato knelt on the ground, rocking and sobbing. "I'm so sorry... "
But the sky just sighed. With a great rush of air, it lifted itself up. High as the treetops. High as the mountaintops.
High above the earth rose the sky, far beyond the reach of humans. "I gave you all you needed," its voice floated
down to Osato, "but still you took more. I cannot stand such greed. I must leave. I will not return."
"But how will we live?" wept Osato. "What will we eat?"
There was silence.
Osato's tears fell to the Earth. And the Earth spoke. "Dry your tears," it said gently. "I can feed you. But you will have
to work for your living. You will have to learn to plow fields and sow seeds and harvest crops. And remember what you have
learned today. Take only what you need. And I will give it gladly."
"Oh, I will," promised Osato through her tears. "I'll never take more than I need—ever, ever again."
https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/why-the-sky-is-far-away
Comprehension Questions:
1. What was the Sky’s promised to the people?
A. Sky said, “I have offered you the greatest gift.”
B. Sky said, “Whatever you need, I can give it to you.”
C. Sky said, “I will leave forever if I am of such a little value to you.”
D. Sky said, “I will feed you. I can nourish every generation. You may take all you need from me.”
2. Which of the following describes how people should treat the sky?
A. They should be thankful for the Sky’s gifts.
B. They should be careless with the Sky’s gifts.
C. They should be ruthless with the Sky’s gifts.
D. They should be satisfied with the Sky’s gifts.
3. Osato asks others to help her eat because…

A. She has the obligation to taste the Sky.
B. She has given permission to eat the entire Sky.
C. She kept a promise to not waste the Sky’s gifts.
D. She has the chance to share it with her family and friends.
4. Why did the Sky get angry?

A. Osato didn’t accept the Sky’s gift.
B. Osato hastily ate more than she needed
C. Osato always took more than she could eat.
D. Osato regularly took from the Sky without asking.
5. Why is it important to the story that the Sky moves away from the people?
A. So that the people can learn to eat moderately.
B. So that the people will have the chance to eat the Sky again.
C. So that the people will learn how to share blessing with the others.
D. So that the people can learn new ways on how to feed themselves.

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WHY THE SKY IS FAR AWAY

1. What people could do to the sky in the beginning of the world?

3. Osato asks others to help her eat because…

4. Why did the Sky get angry?

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