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_Love_ One does not love another if one does not accept anything from him.
If you love the children of others, you will love your own even better.
_Meekness_ If one knows thee not or a blind man scolds thee, do not become angry.
_Mother_ Him whose mother is no more, distress carries off.
_Necessity of Effort_ The sieve never sifts meal by itself.
_Old Age_ There are no charms or medicine against old age.
_Opportunity_ The dawn does not come twice to wake a man.
_Patience_ At the bottom of patience there is heaven.
Patience is the best of qualities; he who possesses it possesses all things.
_People_ Ordinary people are as common as gra.s.s, but good people are dearer than the eye.
_Politeness_ Bowing to a dwarf will not prevent your standing erect again.
"I have forgotten thy name" is better than "I know thee not."
_Poverty_ A poor man has no friends.
He who has no house has no word in society.
_Riches_ Property is the prop of life.
A wealthy man always has followers.
_Sleep_ Sleep has no favorites.
_Strife_ Strife begets a gentle child.
_Sun_ The sun is the king of torches.
_Trade_ Trade is not something imaginary or descriptive, but something real and profitable.
_Truth_ Lies, however numerous, will be caught by truth when it rises up.
The voice of truth is easily known.
_Unselfishness_ If you love yourself others will hate you, if you humble yourself others will love you.
_Valor_ Boasting at home is not valor; parade is not battle; when war comes the valiant will be known.
The fugitive never stops to pick the thorn from his foot.
_Wisdom_ A man may be born to wealth, but wisdom comes only with length of days.
A man with wisdom is better off than a stupid man with any amount of charms and superst.i.tion.
Know thyself better than he who speaks of thee.
Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.
A counsellor who understands proverbs soon sets matters right.
PROVERBS BASED ON THE OBSERVATION OF ANIMALS
_b.u.t.terfly_ The b.u.t.terfly that brushes against thorns will tear its wings.
_Dog_ If the dog is not at home, he barks not.
A heedless dog will not do for the chase.
A lurking dog does not lie in the hyena's lair.
_Elephant_ He who can not move an ant, and yet tries to move an elephant, shall find out his folly.
The elephant does not find his trunk heavy.
Were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal.
_Fly_ If the fly flies, the frog goes not supperless to bed.
_Fox_ When the fox dies, fowls do not mourn.
_Goat_ When the goat goes abroad, the sheep must run.
_Rat_ When the rat laughs at the cat, there is a hole.
The rat has not power to call the cat to account.
The rat does not go to sleep in the cat's bed.
_Wolf_ He who goes with the wolf will learn to howl.
A. O. STAFFORD
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Among the works which have been consulted in the preparation of this article are the following: R. F. Burton, Wit and Wisdom from West Africa.
S. W. Koelle, African Native Literature.
A. B. Ellis, The Yoruba Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa.
Heli Chatelin, Folk Tales of Angola.
WHAT THE NEGRO WAS THINKING DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
ESSAY ON NEGRO SLAVERY[1]
NO. 1
