365 African Proverbs
……feel the Wisdom of Africa
ONE PROVERB: ONE MORNING
By
Adedoyin Adedeji
PUBLISHED BY
Adedoyin Adedeji at Smashwords
365 African Proverbs
Copyright 2011
Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes
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Dedication
This ebook is dedicated to the Millions around the world that have the passion for a better Africa and has done something positive to promote a better world.
1. The habit of thinking is the habit of gaining strength.
2. A lizard that jumps down the top of a tall Iroko tree and looks around without seeing anyone to praise it will always praise itself by nodding its head.
3. He who fights and run will always live to fight another day.
4. Those that knows the really value of market are those who started it.
5. No matter how age a man is he still remains a child to his parents.
6. It is in the house of a coward that people gather and point to the tomb of yesterday’s warrior.
7. One must talk little and listen much.
8. If a drum is not made, it is the fault of the master; but if the drum is made and is not beaten, then that is the fault of the boys.
9. When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.
10. Rather than tell a lie to help a friend, it is better to assist him in paying the fine for his offense.
11. To have no enemies is equivalent to wealth.
12. The fish that can see that its water is getting shallower cannot be stranded.
13. Every river knows where its water would not be soaked up into the earth, and that is where it flows past.
14. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for something.
15. A person previously bitten by a snake dreads the sight of along rope.
16. A determined hunter is never frightened in the jungle.
17. A man who does no hard work will never know the value of rest.
18. A person who sells eggs does not start a fight in the market.
19. Antagonism is not good for fowls, and it is not good for goats; worse still, it is not good for human beings.
20. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
21. No matter how blunt a machete, it should never be held by a mad man.
22. You don’t have to tell the deaf man that the market is over; he has the eyes to see it.
23. The rabbit that dances on the broken branch of a high tree must look down to see how many mouths are opened wide beneath.
24. He that fetches firewood infected with ants should not complain about the visitation of lizard.
25. He that dines with the gods must do so with a very long spoon.
26. There is no venom like that of the tongue.
27. The worm that exposes itself on the ground is waiting for a lucky bird to devour it.
28. Talking is cheap until you hire a lawyer to do it for you.
29. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
30. The tongue cannot claim to be ignorant of what the teeth are doing.
31. When bad luck chooses you as a companion, even a ripe banana can remove your teeth.
1. What the elders see while sitting, the young ones standing on their toes won’t see.
2. Character is like pregnancy you cannot hide it.
3. Before you begin to trade in blame, look in the mirror.
4. If a child shoots an arrow that reaches the top of a tall palm tree, then it must be that an elderly person carved the arrow for him.
5. It is by the strength of their number that the ants in the field are able to carry their prey to the nest.
6. Knowledge is like a garden: If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
7. When a dying man cries, it is not because of where he is going which he knows nothing about, but because of what he wishes he would have done in the world he is leaving behind.
8. Even the high and noble bow before the barber.
9. He who tries to shake a tree stump shakes only himself.
10. A traveler that is never tired of asking questions will never miss his way.
11. A man who has one finger pointing at another has three pointing towards himself.
12. Thoughts and dreams are the foundation of our being.
13. We are what our thinking makes us.
14. When an elephant falls, meat is sure to be surplus for those who follow the hunter.
15. A man cannot sit down alone to plan for prosperity.
16. A single tree cannot make a forest.
17. When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.
18. Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole.
19. He who wants to know that source of coconut sweet water should be ready to challenge God.
20. Whatever nourished the goat until it grew a beard will continue to sustain it.
21. A clear conscience fears no accusation.
22. Your previous lies will contradict your future truths.
23. No matter how high the vulture chooses to fly, the eagle remains the king of the sky.
24. No matter how long a lizard can grow it cannot grow into a crocodile.
25. Success in life largely depends on how you handle your failures.
26. A tree that refuses to dance will be made to do so by the wind.
27. Where cats are hairdressers, rats will always go around with uncombed hair.
28. Only birds with long beaks drink from deep pots.
29. The horns are never too heavy for the head of the cow carrying them.
1. Knowledge is better than wealth; you have to look after wealth while knowledge looks after you.
2. To a man who only has a hammer in his tool kit, every problem looks like a nail.
3. If you don’t know where you are going, any road could take you there.
4. Sleep and indolence are not cousins of a good harvest
5. When the giant eagle attacks, even the champion fowl takes cover.
6. When a lion cannot find the flesh to feed on, it has no choice but to eat grass.
7. A farmer does not conclude by the mere look of it that a corn is unripe; he tears it open for examination.
8. To do one's duty is to eat the prized fruit of honor.
9. A farmer, who would not work inside the rain and would not work under the sun, would have nothing to harvest at the end of the farming year.
10. The heap of yams you will reap depends upon the number of mounds you have plowed.
11. It is the work of one's hands that decides what one eats for dinner - for some it is pounded yam, for others it is pounded plantain or nothing.
12. An anthill that is destined to become a giant anthill will definitely become one, no matter how many times it is destroyed by elephants.
13. He who is afraid of doing too much always does too little.
14. It is an unthinking man who achieves prosperity, and then finds with time, that his body can no longer pass through the door.
15. When an only kola nut is presented with love, it carries with it more value than might otherwise be associated with a whole pod of several kola nuts.
16. The man who remembers others, remembers also his creator.
17. It is from a small seed that the giant Iroko tree has its beginning.
18. A good name is better than gold.
19. He who is courteous is not a fool.
20. The fowl perspires, but the feathers do not allow us to see the perspiration
21. The bird that remembers its flock mates never missed the way.
22. The leech that does not let go even when it is filled dies on the dry land.
23. A bag that says it will not take more and a traditional doctor who says he would not leave anything behind are both sure to suffer.
24. Maize grows well where people have no teeth.
25. It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir.
26. The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep.
27. When a chick ignores its mother’s warning, the eagle grasps it for meals.
28. A new broom sweeps well, but the old broom knows all the corners.
29. He, who falls, teaches others a lesson.
30. A good leader was once a good follower.
31. A child who knows how to wash his hands will eat with the elders
1. Whenever the cock crows, the lazy man blames the night for being too short.
2. When you see a boy running, he is either chasing something or something is chasing him.
3. You cannot stop the bird from flying over your head but you can stop it from having a nest on your head.