Part 4: On perseverance, industry, resilience, self-confidence, self-reliance, resourcefulness, daring, fortitude, and invulnerability

B

The more one peels the bark of the baobab, the fatter it becomes.

If one does not experience enough suffering to fill a basket, one cannot enjoy enough good to fill a cup.

If one does not act like a pig on the way to Ikòròdú one cannot act like Adégbọrọ̀at the king's market.

If a lazy person is suffering from hunger, he/she should be left to die.

If a poor person's forked stake is not long enough in the morning, it will be long enough at night.

If a person does not extend greetings to one, God's greetings are worth more than two hundred peoples'.

A slave that would eat intestines must begin with the liver.

When the cub becomes a grown leopard, it kills animals for food.

If the pedigree is bent, if the pedigree is crooked, each person will play the father in his own home.

When day breaks the lazy person will still be asleep.

If lice are not completely gone from one's clothings, one's nails will not be free of blood.

If a youth is in the grips of excessive privations, he should go after an elephant; if he kills an elephant his privations will be over; if an elephant kills him, his privations will be over.

If one cannot go forward, one will be able to retreat.

However numerous the cattle might be, it is with only one staff that the Fulbe man herds them.

“If I must die let me die” is what makes a man strong; “I simply will not court death” is what makes a man lazy or cowardly.

However long it may take, the stammarer will eventually say, “Father.”

In time, a sojourner becomes a native.

One practices one's Islam as one pleases; if the Imam wishes he may break his fast with pork.

If one is sure of one's Ògún cult object, one taps ones head with it.

If one's eyes do not become as red as camwood stain, one does not come by something as red as brass.

If what one bought for one's money does not fill one, the little extra thrown into the bargain will not.

When day dawns the cattle egret makes for the home of the dealer in chalk, the blue touraco heads for the home of the indigo dealer, the purple àlúkò bird seeks out the dealer in camwood resin.

If the hand does not cease going down and going to the mouth, satiation results.

Even though Ṣango kills the silk-cotton tree and kills the ìrókò tree, no such fate can befall the huge tree.

13. Ìkòròdú is a town a few miles from Lagos (the reference is to a farm on the way to the town), while the name Adégbọrọ̀ means, “The crown(ed head) receives riches.”  [Back to text]

14. Ẹkẹ́ is a forked pole used as a support while building houses.  [Back to text]