In the lush, green heart of Vanua Lava, there was a village where the people spoke not only with words but with the deep, resonant beat of a sacred drum called Ngalawa. Carved from the trunk of an ancient tree and stretched with sharkskin, its sound could travel beyond the mountains and across the sea. The villagers said the drum had been given by the spirits, and that when it spoke, the island must listen.
The keeper of Ngalawa was a wise elder named Taravono, who knew the secret rhythms that told of birth, death, marriage, and war. One night, as Taravono sat by the fire, the drum began to beat on its own. Its sound was strange — slow, heavy, like distant thunder. The elders gathered, listening to the pattern, and Taravono’s face grew pale. “The drum speaks of danger,” he whispered. “A great wave will come when the moon turns full.”
Some villagers laughed, saying the sea had always been their friend. But Taravono ordered the message to be sent to every village by drumbeat. Ngalawa’s voice rang through the night, and though not all believed, many began to prepare, gathering food and climbing the hills.
When the full moon rose, the sea at first lay calm, glassy under the starlight. But then, the horizon darkened and the water began to pull away from the shore. Moments later, a wall of water rose higher than the coconut trees, roaring toward the land. Those who had listened to the drum’s prophecy were safe in the hills, but the wave swept away homes and canoes of those who had doubted.
After the waters receded, the survivors gathered on the high ground. Taravono stood beside Ngalawa, striking it slowly, the beats rolling through the air like a heartbeat. “This drum is not just for songs,” he said. “It is the voice of our ancestors, guiding us. We must listen, together, if we are to endure.”
From then on, no one doubted the messages carried by Ngalawa. Whether for warning or celebration, its rhythms brought the island together. Even when storms raged or disputes rose, the drum was struck to remind the people that their strength lay in unity, and that the voice of the ancestors still spoke through its hollow wooden body.
Moral / Life Lesson:
Wisdom often comes in forms we do not expect. A community that listens with respect — not only to leaders but to the voices of tradition and the signs of nature — can withstand even the greatest storms. Unity, like the beat of a drum, is strongest when all hearts keep time together.
Knowledge Check:
- What was the name of the sacred drum?
Ngalawa. - Who was the keeper of the drum?
Taravono, a wise elder. - What warning did the drum give?
A prophecy of a great wave arriving at the full moon. - How did the villagers spread the message?
By sending drumbeats across the island. - What happened to those who ignored the warning?
Their homes and canoes were destroyed by the wave. - What lesson did the villagers learn?
To listen to tradition and act together in unity.
Cultural Origin: This story comes from the oral traditions of Vanuatu, where music, rhythm, and ancestral guidance are deeply woven into community life.
