Long ago, before villages spread across the land, Nzambi came down to earth by way of a rainbow. He settled near a river and looked upon the empty bush. The place pleased him, but it felt unfinished, so he filled it with trees, animals, birds, and the tracks of life. Still he wanted something more. At last he shaped the first man and woman and gave them his blessing: marry, have children, and fill the earth.
The first couple obeyed. Their children had children, and the number of people grew until one settlement could no longer hold them. Families moved into new places, but the more people multiplied, the more quarrels multiplied with them. The elders came before Nzambi and asked what offering or rule would restore balance. They promised that nothing mattered more than his will.
Nzambi saw that his generous blessing had also brought crowding, struggle, and rivalry. He answered with a law. From that time forward, any person who slept while the moon walked across the sky would be claimed by death. Their spirit would be called back from the body.
The people were frightened, but they were also clever. They hunted and kept watch through the night, then rested by day. For a time, no one died. But there was an old man whose eyes had grown weak. On cloudy nights he could no longer tell whether the moon was out. His people warned him for many seasons, until one night they went away to a distant ceremony and left him alone.
Clouds covered the moon. Believing it was still day, the old man lay down and slept. He did not wake again. From that night onward, death found a road into human life. Some died in sleep, some by sickness, some without warning. And the people remembered the old law of the moon.
## Moral / Meaning
Life requires balance. A blessing without limits can become a burden, and even a small break in sacred order can change the world.