12 African Proverbs

Monoko Mbele, makola ndunda.* 

People enjoyed Sunday's African proverb so I dug out some more and here they are. I have a list - not sure where I got it from.

There are dozens about animals you probably wouldn't encounter in Birkenhead Precinct, and many more involving trees.

There are also plenty that are identical to our own, and quite a few more that are so obvious as to veer away from the term 'proverb' into the territory of common bloody sense. 

So I've  savaged the list and whittled it down to a short-list of my favourites. I think we can all learn something here.

In no particular order:

'Every hill has its leopard.'
Bahaya proverb


'Who takes a hut, also takes the rats and cockroaches.
Ntomba proverb.


'Do not grab your heel until the ant has bitten you.'
Ekonda proverb.


'If you carry the egg basket do not dance.'
Ambede proverb


'The wind does not break a tree that can bend'.
(Sukuma proverb)


'The elephant dies, but his tusks remain'.
(Bamfinu proverb)


'The wind helps those without an axe to cut wood'.
(Bamileke proverb - Cameroon and parts of Nigeria)


'We rest our legs, but never our mouths'.
(Bahaya [Haya] proverb, Tanzania)


'A knife does not recognise its owner'.
(Mongo proverb, Democratic Republic of Congo - former Zaïre)


'Pretend you are dead and you will see who really loves you'.** 
(Bamoun proverb)


'Only when a tree has grown can you tie your cow to it".
Jabo proverb,Liberia)

How about making up some more for me?  They have to involve a wild animal (preferably a predator) and/or a tree...

* Just a a reminder to those who missed the previous post that the phrase is Lingala (Congo) for: 'Your tongue is a sword and your legs are vegetables'  which is certainly true of me, I don't know about you.

** Don't try this at home, children, it frightens your parents.