Ma halo Nlanders, its a breezy evning here in Maiduguri! Juz got some proverbs that might inspire you tnyt.

Most other countries and continents of
the world have their proverbs and wise
sayings. In Africa, it is the same and
African proverbs are the pride of the
African culture. From time immemorial,
African proverbs have been used to
convey messages during important
conversations. It is believed that these
such sayings come from the wise and
only the wise understands it. Over the
years, it has become associated with
the wise, the elderly and the grey
haired who pride themselves in the
knowledge of these proverbs and more
often than not, it is usually used to
advise a child or a youth as the advice
tends to stick more when the proverb
is understood. In most traditions in
Africa, it is usually atypical for one to
tell an African proverb and still be the
one to explain the meaning. This not
withstanding, Answers Africa brings
you some of the ain the meaning. This not
withstanding, Answers Africa brings
you some of the
African proverbs:
1. Only a fool tests the depth of a
river with both feet.
Meaning: You don’t jump straight into
a situation without thinking about it
first.
2. Knowledge is like a garden: If it
is not cultivated, it cannot be
harvested.
Meaning: If you don’t make efforts to
acquire knowledge then you would not
expect to have it and if you do not put
the knowledge you have to use, you
cannot expect to gain anything from it.
3. Sugarcane is sweetest at its
joint.
Meaning: Good and sweet things of live
may appear difficult to achieve but in
the end, it is worth it.
4. If you offend, ask for a pardon;
if offended forgive.
Meaning: This is as simple as it sounds:
If you upset someone, apologize to him
or her. If someone upsets you, forgive
him or her because what goes around,
comes around.
5. Don’t set sail using someone
else’s star.
Meaning: Avoid copying someone else.
Just because someone has been
successful in what he/she does should
not be what will make you to do the
same thing and expect to be
successful.
6. The best way to eat an elephant
in your path is cut him up into little
pieces.
Meaning: The best approach to solving
a problem is to take it bit by bit; one at
a time.
7. A restless feet may walk into a
snake pit.
Meaning: If someone is busy doing
nothing or is involved in what he does
noe know about, it is easy for him to
get into trouble.
8. A chick that will grow into a cock
can be spotted the very day it
hatches.
: You can easily foresee the
future of something through the
character and tell-tale signs it exhibits
today.
9. After a foolish deed comes
remorse.
Meaning: Feeling sorry always follows a
foolish act.
10. A man who pays respect to the
great paves the way for his own
greatness.
Meaning: What goes around, comes
around so whatever you sow, you shall
reap
11. He who does not know one
thing knows another.
Meaning: No one knows everything,
but everyone knows something.
12. A roaring lion kills no game.
Meaning: You cannot achieve or gain
anything by mere sitting around and
just talking about it.
13. Do not call the forest that
shelters you a jungle.
Meaning: Do not insult someone who is
capable of taking your responsibility or
taking care of you
14. When a king has good
counselors, his reign is peaceful.
What defines a man is the
circumstances and people around him
and if they are good, he turns out
good.
15. It takes a whole village to raise
a child.
Meaning: The society is responsible for
the moral characters it creates and
everyone in a community should be
responsible for helping to train a child
irrespective of who the parents are;
offering correction where they are
needed.
16. If a child washes his hands he
could eat with kings.
If you prepare and allow
yourself to be well trained when you
have the opportunity, you will achieve
a lot and be favored in due course.
17. Rain does not fall on one roof
alone.
Meaning: Trouble comes to everyone at
one time or another.
18. Life is like a shadow and a mist;
it passes quickly by, and is no
more.
Meaning: Life is short, and you only live
it once.
19. Wherever a man goes to dwell,
his character goes with him.
Meaning: What defines a man is his
character which is inseparable from
him and follows him wherever he goes.
20. Do not look where you fell, but
where you slipped.
Meaning: Don’t look at your mistakes;
look at what caused you to make the
mistakes otherwise you may repeat the
mistake.
The beauty of African proverbs lies in
their mystery. Earlier in this article, we
mentioned that in most African
traditions, it is “unacceptable” to tell
an African proverb and still be the one
to explain the meaning. In the spirit of
African culture, we’ve left a few
assignments on more interesting
African proverbs below. Read through
them and enjoy the richness and
wisdom of African culture while trying
to see how much of it you can
interpret.
African proverbs and Quotes
21. A child’s fingers are not scalded by
a piece of hot yam which his mother
puts into his palm.
22. An old woman is always uneasy
when dry bones are mentioned in a
proverb.
23. By the time the fool has learned
the game, the players have dispersed.
24. Even though the old man is strong
and hearty, he will not live forever.
25. A bird will always use another
birds’ feathers to feather its own nest.
26. A person is a person because of
other persons.
27. Two small antelopes can beat a big
one.
28. What is bad luck for one man is
good luck for another.
29. Fire and gunpowder do not sleep
together.
30. Hunger is felt by a slave and
hunger is felt by a king.
31. The lizard that jumped from the
high Iroko tree to the ground said he
would praise himself if no one else did.
32. The mouth which eats does not
talk.
33. He that digs up a grave for his
enemy, may be digging it for himself.
34. Money is sharper than a sword.
35. No one tests the depth of a river
with both feet.
36. A proud heart can survive a
general failure because such a failure
does not prick its pride.
37. As the dog said, ‘If I fall down for
you and you fall down for me, it is
playing.’
38. If you are in hiding, don’t light a
fire.
39. It is Mr. Old-Man-Monkey who
marries Mrs. Old-Woman-Monkey.
40.If you don’t stand for something,
you will fall for something.
41. It takes a whole village to raise a
child
42. When the cock is drunk, he forgets
about the hawk.
43. When the fool is told a proverb, its
meaning has to be explained to him.
44. Only when you have crossed the
river, can you say the crocodile has a
lump on his snout.
45. Rain beats a leopard’s skin, but it
does not wash out the spots.
46. The sun will shine on those who
stand before it shines on those who
kneel under them.
47. Those whose palm-kernels were
cracked for them by a benevolent spirit
should not forget to be humble.
48. When a man is coming toward you,
you need not say: “Come here.”
49. When a man is wealthy, he may
wear an old cloth.
50. A man’s grave is by the roadside.
51. When you follow in the path of your
father, you learn to walk like him.
52. Wood already touched by fire is not
hard to set alight.
53. It is no shame at all to work for
money.
54. It is the calm and silent water that
drowns a man.
55. A wise man who knows proverbs,
reconciles difficulties. (Yoruba)
56. Do not look where you fell, but
where you slipped.
57. The poor man and the rich man do
not play together.
58. The ruin of a nation begins in the
homes of its people.
59. A bad name is like a stigma.
60. When a woman is hungry, she
says, “Roast something for the children
that they might eat.”
61. When you are rich, you are hated;
when you are poor, you are despised.
62. You can tell a ripe corn by its look.
63. You must judge a man by the work
of his hands.
64. The moon moves slowly, but it
crosses the town.
65. There is no medicine to cure
hatred.
66. People should not talk while they
are eating or pepper may go down the
wrong way.
67. When a man says yes, his chi
(personal god) says yes also.
68. It’s a bad child who does not take
advice.
69. One cannot both feast and become
rich.
70. Looking at a king’s mouth one
would never think he sucked his
mother’s breast.
71. When the moon is shining the
cripple becomes hungry for a walk.
72. It is the fool’s sheep that break
loose twice.
73. One falsehood spoils a thousand
truths.
74. By crawling a child learns to stand
75. The wise create proverbs for fools
to learn, not to repeat.
76. Every woman is beautiful until she
speaks.
77. One who causes others misfortune
also teaches them wisdom
78. The surface of the water is
beautiful, but it is no good to sleep on.
79. Ears that do not listen to advice,
accompany the head when it is
chopped off.
80. He who refuses to obey cannot
command.
81. Milk and honey have different
colors, but they share the same house
peacefully.
82. The one who loves an unsightly
person is the one who makes him
beautiful.
83. If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together
84. A fight between grasshoppers is a
joy to the crow.
85. You do not teach the paths of the
forest to an old gorilla.
86. Dogs do not actually prefer bones
to meat; it is just that no one ever
gives them meat.
87. Dine with a stranger but save your
love for your family.
88. An army of sheep led by a lion can
defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
89. You are beautiful because of your
possessions.
90. Instruction in youth is like
engraving in stone.
91. He who fears the sun will not
become chief.
92. The old woman looks after the child
to grow its teeth and the young one in
turn looks after the old woman when
she loses her teeth.
93. He who is destined for power does
not have to fight for it.
94. A large chair does not make a king.
95. You are beautiful, but learn to
work, for you cannot eat your beauty.
96. When you follow in the path of your
father, you learn to walk like him.
97. War has no eyes
98. Having beauty doesn’t mean
understanding the perseverance of
marriage.
99. He who thinks he is leading and
has no one following him is only taking
a walk.
100. Money is not the medicine against
death.
101. When two elephants fight, it is
the grass that gets trampled.
102. A small house will hold a hundred
friends.
103. Speak softly and carry a big stick;
you will go far.
104. If the cockroach wants to rule over
the chicken, then it must hire the fox
as a body-guard
105. If there is character, ugliness
becomes beauty; if there is none,
beauty becomes ugliness.
106. There can be no peace without
understanding.
107. A close friend can become a close
enemy.
108. A single bracelet does not jingle
109. Money can’t talk, yet it can make
lies look true.
110. When there is peace in the
country, the chief does not carry a
shield.
111. He who earns calamity, eats it
with his family.
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they will thank you!