Folklore Themes: Drought

Drought is the most feared natural disaster. It cannot be escaped or avoided, and because it is widespread no village can help another. Stories about droughts are rarely told except during a good rainy season, when the possibility of famine is far from reality. At the same time, they are important as a reminder that good seasons should never be taken for granted. They serve also as a form of preparation, teaching what to do when when a rainy season comes up dry.

From Finding Old Ancestor:
The killing time was long ago now. All your mothers were children then, but their mothers remember. I remember. Old Ancestor's rain did not come at its time, and the grass did not grow high and thick. We walked all through that time, searching for grass for our stronghorns and food for ourselves. We ate all we could find, so little as it was. Many died, stronghorns and people. Hunger lived in us all.