People say that if you find water rising up to your ankle, that's the time to do something about it, not when it's around your neck. Chinua Achebe.

" That night the mother of the evil spirit walked the lenght and breat of the clan weeping for her murdered son, it was a terrible night. Not even the oldest man in Umuafia has ever had such a strange and fearfull sound and it was never to be heard again. It seem that the very soul of that tribe is waiting for that evil night: Its own death"

cheleku: "Age was respected among his people, but
achievement was revered. As the elders said, if a
child washed his hands he could eat with kings." -
Things Fall Apart, pg 5.

I nearly shed tears when I read that. Vintage quote from Things Fall Apart. Achebe was a real African hero who will be remembered for many generations to come. He was the FIRST VOICE out of Africa in this modern era to teach the world what it meant to be African, after hundreds of years of global ignorance about the continent's peoples.

'When mother-cow is chewing grass its young ones watch its mouth'.

'A child's fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which it's mother puts into its palm'.

'Living fire begets cold, impotent ash'.

When all the egwugwu had sat down and the sound of the many tiny bells and rattles on their bodies had subsided, Evil Forest addressed the two groups of people facing them.
"Uzowulu's body, I salute you," he said. Spirits always addressed humans as "bodies." Uzowulu bent down and touched the earth with his right hand as a sign of submission.
"Our father, my hand has touched the ground," he said.
"Uzowulu's body, do you know me?" asked the spirit.
"How can I know you, father? You are beyond our knowledge."
"..I am Evil Forest. I kill a man on the day his life is sweetest to him."

- Things Fall Apart

chess guru:
Am not yoruba, and am certainly not igbo, but respect is earned, and this man has certainly earned the respect of people from all over the world.
J̶̲̥̅̊u̶̲̥̅̊S̤̥̈̊τ̲̣̣̥ because a man has a contrary view to yours doesn't mean his life shouldn't be celebrated.
That's why I like the olden Chinese, and the way of the samurai...even sworn and bitter enemy's had RESPECT for each other.

BTW #it takes a bigot to know
another bigot

seun, you must lecture your mods on their job. What kind of mod is the one that permits the thriving of bigotry and inhibits the spread of facts and reality by hiding behind a device to hide reasonable comments like this. SMH.

To The youruba boy I̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ the house-he who dance surugede dont know that surugede is the dance Ø̶̷̩̥̊͡Ƒ̶̷̩̥̊͡ the spirit. Be careful.

My favourite, (paraphrasing) - when the white man brought their religion to okonkwo and his clan, okonkwo asked a question! "if u claim ur God has a son who is now his wife?" the white man then tried to proof the trinity to okonkwo, affirming that God does not have a wife. And as they were going, okonkwo stated, "these people are mad". Hahahaha.

HE WHO PAYZ REZPECT 2 THE GREAT PAVES WAY 4 HIS GREATNESS.....(THINGS FALL APART)

That's a pity because what this country needs is a ruthless dictator. At least for five good years, and we will all laugh in loud excess at the OGA'S AT THE TOP...because we know "culled frm anthils of the savannah" so baba knew what's wrong with nigeria so long huum.. May your soul rerst in peace

The quote is taken from his award winning essay..the education of a british protected child.

"When a hand shake goes beyond the elbow, then we know it has turned to another thing" Chinua Achebe - Arrow of God.

you cannot deny a son what is father never asked for - Chinua Achebe in Things fall apart

Yeku James
Yesterday at 8:47pm · 
I am finding it really difficult to choose my favourite of these Achebe proverbs. Which is yours?

"If you want to eat a toad you look for a fat and juicy one."

"An only palm fruit does not get lost in the fire."

"A man who lives on the banks of the Niger (river) should not wash his hands in spittle."

"A man does not challenge his Chi to a wrestling match."

"When a new saying gets to the land of empty men, they lose their heads over it."

"You cannot plant greatness as you plant yams or maize. Who ever planted an iroko tree - the greatest in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in the world, open the soil and put them there. it will be in vain. The great tree chooses where to grow and we find it there...so it is with greatness in men."

"The eye is not harmed by sleep."

"We do not want to be like the unfortunate child who grows his first tooth and grows a damaged one."

"He who has people is richer than he who has money. "

"Shall we kill a snake and carry it in our hand when we have a bag for putting things in ?"

"If a man returns from a long journey and no one says nno (welcome) to him, he feels like one who has not arrived."

"A debt may get moldy but it never rots."

"The most horrible sight in the world cannot put out the eye."

"The sun will shine on those who stand, before it shines on those who kneel under them."

"If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings."

"When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk."

"Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too - If one says no to the other, let his wing break."

"An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb."

"The lizard that jumped from a high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no-one else did."

"Eneke the bird says that since men have learnt to shoot without missing, he has learnt to fly without perching."

"Those whose palm kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble."

"When a person says yes, his Chi (personal god) says yes also."

"A man that makes trouble for others also makes trouble for himself."

"If one finger brings oil, it soils all the others."

"When a man blasphemes what do we do? Do we go and stop his mouth? No. We put our fingers into our ears to stop us hearing."

"A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving."

"As a man danced so the drums were beaten for him."

"Whenever you see a toad jumping in broad daylight, then know that something is after its life."

"When a handshake goes below the elbow, then know that it has turned into something else."

"It is praiseworthy to be brave and fearless, but sometimes it is better to be a coward. We often stand in the compound of a coward to point at the ruins where a brave man used to live."

"The man who has never submitted to anything will son submit to the burial pit."

"Wisdom is like a goatskin bag; every man carries his own."

"An old man is there to talk."

" If the lizard of the homestead should neglect to do the things for which its kind is know, it will be mistaken for the lizard of the farmland."

"When an adult is in the house, the she-goat is not left to suffer the pains of parturition on its tether."

"A boy sent by his father to steal does not go stealthily but breaks the door with his feet."

"When an old woman hears the dance she knows her old age deserts her."

"It is only when you are close to a man that you can begin to smell his breath."

"If a blind man does not know his own stick, tell me what else would he know ? "

"If you fail to take away a strong man's sword when he is on the ground, will you do it when he gets up? "

"A man who avoids danger for years and then gets killed in the end has wasted his care."

"When a mad man walks naked, it is his kinsmen who feel shame, not himself."

"A madman may sometimes speak a true word."

"A madman may sometimes speak a true word, but you watch him, he will soon add something to it that will tell you his mind is spoilt."

"A goat does not eat into a hen's stomach no matter how friendly the two may be."

"A man of worth never gets up to unsay what he said yesterday."

"The inquisitive eye will only blind its own sight."

"A man who does not lick his lips, can he blame the harmattan for drying them ? "

"If we fall back, can we complain that others are rushing forward ?"

"When suffering knocks on your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool."

"What a man does not know is greater than he."

"Only a foolish man can go after a leopard with his bare hands."

"In dealing with a man who thinks you are a fool, it is good sometimes to remind him that you know what he knows but have chosen to appear foolish for the sake of peace."

"A man may refuse to do what is asked of him but he may not refuse to be asked."

"When we hear a house has fallen do we ask if the ceiling fell with it ?"

"The death that will kill a man begins as an appetite."

"If a man sought for a companion who acted entirely like himself, he would live in solitude."

"He is a fool who treats his brother worse than a stranger."

"The greatest liar among men still speaks the truth to his own son."

"A boy who tries to wrestle with his father gets blinded by the old man's loin cloth."

"A woman who began cooking before another must have more broken utensils."

"When we see an old woman stop her dance to point again and again in the same direction, we can be sure that somewhere there something happened long ago which touched the roots of her life."

"In all great componds there must be people of all minds - some good, some bad, some fearless and some cowardly; those who bring in wealth and those who scatter it, those who give good advice and those who only speak the words of palm wine. That is why we say that whatever tune you play in the compond of a great man there is always someone to dance to it."

"When brothers fight to death a stranger inherits their father's estate."

"The man that brings ant-infested gays into his hut should not grumble when lizards begin to pay him a visit."

"A disease that has never been seen before cannot be cured with every-day herbs."

"No matter how many spirits plot a man's death, it comes to nothing unless his Chi (personal god), has a hand in the deliberation."

"A man who means to buy palm wine does not hang about at home until all the palm wine in the market is sold."

"If you thank a man for what he has done he will have strength to do more."

"The language of young men is pull down and destroy; but an old man speaks of conciliation."

"It is the fear of offence that makes men swallow poison."

"A traveler to distant places should make no enemies"

"Travellers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves"

"A man of sense does not go hunting little bush rodents when his agemates are after big game"

"No man however great is greater than his people"

"Every lizard lies on its belly, so we cannot tell which has a belly-ache"

(Prepared by Nwabu Nnebe)

if a child crawl nd gave me a knock i will squat nd retaliate--chinua RIP

He who eats an udala seed must consider the size of his anus. (ACHEBE).

Oh! Rest in peace the greatest one.

thrugemaster: that boy calls you father.
- Things fall apart

" have no hand in his death''

One of the only few of who cared for Igbo Religion (Odinani). The Gods bless you Chief! Lord Amadioha Bless Your Spirit!

"When suffering knocks on your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool."

That's one hell of a proverb.

Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.

Eyahoo

The sun must shine on those on top of the roof top before it shines on those on under the bed.... Chinua Achebe quoting Unoka's reply to the man who came to him for debt recovery.

An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.

Do you know the super eagles narrowly escaped defit in calabar ?it wasn't easy

vanstanzy: I believe his quote that's my most favorite is "GET RICH OR DIE TRYING!"... (Thinking aloud!)or

was it Tupac that said it.

vanstanzy: I believe his quote that's my most favorite is "GET RICH OR DIE TRYING!"... (Thinking aloud!)or

was it Tupac that said it.

vanstanzy: I believe his quote that's my most favorite is "GET RICH OR DIE TRYING!"... (Thinking aloud!)or

was it Tupac that said it.

vanstanzy: I believe his quote that's my most favorite is "GET RICH OR DIE TRYING!"... (Thinking aloud!)or

was it Tupac that said it.

hahaha humor apices abi

igbosunny: A man who has been helped by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.

A man was told by an oracle that his dead father wanted him to sacrifce a goat for him and the man told the oracle to ask his dead father if he ever own a fowl when he was alive.......Things Fall Apart

Lol, I just like this quote. U can imagine that. Nice one. Not a novel person jare

'okonkwo, that child calls u father'...the child in quote was ikemefuna in things fall apart..cant 4get that scene when okonkwo used his matchet on him...i cried then lol.....