Long ago, in a village between the ocean and the plains, people believed the sea had a restless child named El Niño. Many years, he slept beneath the waves, while farmers planted maize and fishermen followed currents.
One season, El Niño awoke early. He danced across the ocean, warming the waters and calling clouds from far away. Rain poured for days. Rivers overflowed, roads disappeared and crops bent beneath the storms. The villagers feared his power.
An old woman named Mama Tunu climbed the hill and spoke to the clouds. “Every visitor brings a lesson,” she said. “We must listen before we complain.”
So the villagers built stronger drains, stored grain on high shelves, planted trees and watched the skies.
When El Niño finally returned to the sea, the village was changed. From then on, they taught their children: Nature may be unpredictable, but wisdom grows when people prepare together.
