Once upon a time, in a village called Musamba up in the mountains, there was a very famous blacksmith. People in the village called him Mungwala because he was so good at making things from iron and steel. Mungwala was a big, strong man with rough hands from working with hot metal all day. He had a kind face and eyes that twinkled with wisdom. Everyone in the village loved him because he could make the most amazing things out of metal.

Villagers went to his hut every morning to watch him work. It was an amazing sight to see! How talented he was!

Sekwila, the village chief, heard about Mungwala's work. He sent his headmen to bring Mungwala to the palace.

Sekwila was known throughout the village and the neighbouring villages as a mean and impossible man to please. His frown was as permanent as the mountains that surrounded the village, and his demands were as sharp as the tools in Mungwala's workshop.

Mungwala was happy to hear that Sekwila wanted to see him. 'I will be very happy to work for the chief,' he said.

So Mungwala went to the palace. As he stepped into the palace, the grand figure of Sekwila appeared before him. 'Mungwala,' the chief's voice boomed, 'I have heard stories of your remarkable craftsmanship echoing through our village's winding paths.'

With a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, Sekwila continued, 'I have a task so extraordinary, it requires the touch of a master like yourself.'

With your iron and steel, I want you to build a man who can walk, cry real tears and bleed real human blood.' 'Impossible!' thought Mungwala. But no one could say no to the chief in this village.

That night, Mungwala tossed and turned in his bed, worried by the weight of the impossible task laid upon him. How was he going to do this impossible task? He was very scared and very, very worried.

Suddenly, Mungwala remembered a wise old man Kalaiti, whose wisdom was as vast as the sky. Perhaps he could help. But where was Kalaiti? He had disappeared from the village. Some said it was because he had fallen out of favour with the chief

The next morning, Mungwala did not go to work. He went up the mountains to think. While walking there, he saw a man sitting under a mupundu tree.

It was old Kalaiti! 'I am so pleased to see you,' said Mungwala. 'I have a big problem.' He told Kalaiti the whole story. Kalaiti thought carefully, and then he said,

'Tell the chief that you will need a thousand 20-litre buckets full of tears and a thousand large clay pots full of hair. With the water, you will make blood. With the hair, you will make a fire to strengthen the steel man,' the man under the tree advised. 'Thank you, thank you!' exclaimed Mungwala, filled with newfound hope, as he rushed back to the palace.

Mungwala said, 'Sekwila, to do what you ask, I will need two things: a thousand 20-litre buckets full of tears, and a thousand large clay pots filled with hair from the heads of all the villagers.' Sekwila agreed and instructed his headmen to inform the villagers accordingly.

Cries were heard from every corner of the village. Young and old people cried day and night to fill a thousand buckets with tears. Every villager's head was shaved off and thrown into the pots. But the tears and hair of all the villagers were not enough to fill the buckets and pots.

Eventually Sekwila gave up and called Mungwala back to the palace. 'Mungwala, you are a wise man, the wisest in the village,' said Sekwila. 'Will you do me the honour of being my chief headman? Mungwala smiled.

'Only if you let Kalaiti come back to the village,' he replied. So Mungwala became the chief headman, and alongside Kalaiti the Chief advisor of Sekwila.

Mungwala continued doing what he really enjoyed. Being a blacksmith!

Mungwala could not take the honour alone, as he knew that Kalaiti was equally wise. Together, they shared the responsibility of guiding the village with their wisdom and knowledge, bringing harmony to Musamba village once more.