'The Old Man and the Medal' (Le Vieux Nègre et la Médaille) is a satirical novel by Ferdinand Oyono, published in 1956. It tells the story of Meka, an old Cameroonian villager who has faithfully served the French colonial administration throughout his life. He has given his land to the church and sent his sons to fight in France's wars. When he is finally selected to receive a medal of French gratitude, the ceremony becomes a humiliating farce that exposes the deep-seated hypocrisy and absurdities of colonial rule. The novel vividly portrays the clash between traditional African values and the European presence, using dark humor to critique the dehumanizing effects of colonialism and the illusions of integration.