Long ago, before the borders of today existed, the Naath people lived on the eastern plains where cattle grazed freely and the rivers pulsed like the heartbeat of the land. One season, the rains failed. The earth cracked. The cattle grew thin, and the elders warned:
“We must find a new land, or our children will suffer.”
Guided by the wise elder Ruai, the people travelled westward until they reached a river wider and deeper than any they had known — a river so fierce it carried fallen trees away like drifting leaves.
For days they camped on the bank, unsure how to cross. Some feared the currents, others believed that spirits guarded the waters. But hunger deepened, children cried, and the cattle grew restless.
One morning, Elder Ruai gathered the people beneath a tall acacia tree and said:
“A river cannot defeat a united people.”
He instructed the strongest youth to cut long cowhide ropes. The women wove thick papyrus bundles from the riverbank. The elders watched the skies and read the winds.
Together, they built a long floating bridge — a chain of logs, papyrus bundles, and cowhide ropes anchored to two giant trees on opposite shores.
The first to cross were the children, carried on the backs of warriors. Then came the women, guiding the cattle one step at a time. Lastly, the elders crossed, singing praise songs for courage and protection.
When the final cow stepped safely onto the far bank, the people shouted as one:
“We are Naath — we do not turn back!”
They settled in a new land where the soil was rich and the waters fed their cattle. From that day, the story has been retold through generations:
“When the river stood before us, we crossed it together.”
It remains a powerful reminder that unity is strength, and no challenge is greater than a people who stand as one.