African literature is fascinating for its inclusion of the rich tribal cultures, traditional folklore. I'll be focusing solely on oral literature, its characteristics, elements and examples. African oral literature and folklores have long been deemed as backward in literature texts, however, I believe that oral literature is still highly relevant to the literature of today, thought-provoking, impactful and integral in African literature. Verenig Afrika!
Poet may use interjections (Word conveying emotion such as alas!), alliteration (Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or within words as in Macbeth’s phrase “after life’s fitful fever.”), and/or assonance (The close repetition of middle vowel sounds between different consonant sounds: fade/pale. Assonance is usually used within a line of poetry for unity or rhythmic effect
Guidelines:
1st line—an introduction or a salute—begin with a phrase such as “Praise to,” “Here’s to,” or “I am”
next 2 to 3 lines—refer to yourself using different descriptive names and phrases—compare or identify yourself with something without using “like” or “as;” for example, a wolf, a storm thundering across the plain; animals and natural occurrences most commonly used
last 2 lines—refer to some action or deed —begin the same way as the 1st line; repeat the idea of the first line, but vary the words
Sample African Praise Poems:
I am the young lion!
The wild animal with pad-feet and black back!
Whose father has given up hope from the
beginning and whose mother has wept for a long time.
I am the fine elephant of Mathubapulu, the finest
elephant in the Matsaakgang. --Bantu praise poem
I am the attention-demanding weasel.
The peacock who worked tremendously hard.
Whose parents were so proud of her accomplishments
But would not mingle with all
until a flying bird traveling throughout the world.
I am a quiet and nourishing rainfall. --V. DiLorenzo
Obakunle Akinlana is a storyteller who uses drums, shekeres, and other musical instruments to present fun and exciting traditional African folktales. Akinlana has performed as a storyteller, musician, lecturer and percussionist throughout the United States and West Africa.
He is a published writer, recording artist, and founder and producer of the annual Igunnuko African Heritage Festival that is held in Charlotte, North Carolina and draws over 25,000 people. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Akinlana learnt stories from his grandparents who were farmers and from his father who was a minister and mother who was a beautician. He began his professional career in 1971 as a percussionist for Morris Brown College choir and the O.J. Harris African drummers and dancers. He has studied Yoruba folklore and culture for over 29 years, and travels to Africa annually to learn traditional stories, and to observe and perform with African griots and musicians.
Akinlana performs at festivals, colleges, universities, community centers, libraries, schools and other events. His performances are fun and exciting, as he encourages audience participation.
Griots and Griottes (also called bards or jeli) — masters of words and music, have been around for a millennium. Over time, the griots' function has changed as society evolved. Once, the male griots and female griottes were historians, advisers to nobility, entertainers, messengers, praise singers — the list goes on.
Today, they perform on television and radio and record CDs. Many are popular singers who reinterpret traditional songs, giving new meaning to old words. As performers, griots and griottes are in great demand, not only for ceremonies and parties in West Africa, where they have traditionally appeared, but all around the world especially in the West where they give Westerners an insight into African culture.
In ancient Mande society, the jeli was as a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer (patronage), and storyteller. Essentially, these musicians were walking history books, preserving their ancient stories and traditions through song. Their inherited tradition was passed down through generations. Their name, jeli, means "blood" in Manika language. They were said to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers as music is associated as such. Speech is also said to have power as it can recreate history and relationships.
In the Mali empire, each aristocratic family of griots accompanied a higher-ranked family of warrior-kings or emperors, which they called jatigi. In traditional culture, no griot can be without a jatigi, and no jatigi can be without a griot; the two are inseparable, and worthless without the other. However, the jatigi can accept a "loan" of his griot to another jatigi.
Most villages also had their own griot, who told tales of births, deaths, marriages, battles, hunts, affairs, and hundreds of other things.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe mixes Western linguistic forms and literary traditions with Igbo words and phrases, proverbs, fables, tales, and other elements of African oral and communal storytelling traditions in order to record and preserve African oral traditions as well as to subvert the colonialist language and culture. I'll be identifying the proverbs used in "Things Fall Apart" and attempting to question the relationship of oral elements to the meanings and messages of the novel.
One cannot study African literature without studying the particular cultures and oratures on which Africans draw for their structures and plots, rhythms and styles, images and metaphors.
Plot Synopsis:
Okonkwo is a leader and wrestling champion in his village. He is known to be hard working and shows no weakness — emotional or otherwise — to anyone. Although brusque with his family and neighbors, he is wealthy, courageous, and powerful among the people of his village. He is a leader of his village, and his place in that society is what he has striven for his entire life.
Because of his great esteem in the village, Okonkwo is selected by the elders to be the guardian of Ikemefuna, a boy taken prisoner by the village as a peace settlement between two villages after his father killed an Umuofian woman. Ikemefuna is to stay with Okonkwo until the Oracle instructs the elders on what to do with the boy. For three years the boy lives with Okonkwo's family and Okonkwo grows fond of him. The boy looks up to Okonkwo and considers him a second father. Then the elders decide that the boy must be killed. The oldest man in the village warns Okonkwo, telling him to have nothing to do with the murder because it would be like killing his own child. Rather than seem weak and feminine to the other men of the village, Okonkwo participates in the murder of the boy despite the warning from the old man. In fact, Okonkwo himself strikes the killing blow as Ikemefuna begs him for protection.
Shortly after Ikemefuna's death, things begin to go wrong for Okonkwo. When he accidentally kills someone at a ritual funeral ceremony when his gun explodes, he and his family are sent into exile for seven years to appease the gods he has offended. While Okonkwo is away in exile, white men begin coming to Umuofia and they peacefully introduce their religion. As the number of converts increases, the foothold of the white people grows beyond their religion and a new government is introduced.
Okonkwo returns to his village after his exile to find it a changed place because of the presence of the white man. He and other tribal leaders try to reclaim their hold on their native land by destroying a local Christian church. In return, the leader of the white government takes them prisoner and holds them for ransom for a short while, further humiliating and insulting the native leaders. As a result, the people of Umuofia finally gather for what could be a great uprising. Okonkwo, adamant over following Umuofian custom and tradition, despises any form of cowardice and advocates for war against the white men. When messengers of the white government try to stop the meeting, Okonkwo kills one of them. He realizes with despair that the people of Umuofia are not going to fight to protect themselves because they let the other messengers escape and so all is lost for the village.
When the local leader of the white government comes to Okonkwo's house to take him to court, he finds that Okonkwo has hanged himself, ruining his great reputation as it is strictly against the custom of the Igbo to commit suicide.
Proverbs:
"The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them"
Type: Denotative/Connotative
Analysis: The proverb makes reference to a cosmic body, the sun, claiming that those who strive and work (by remaining standing)will benefit from the fruit of their work before those who depend on them (by kneeling or deriving succor from them). While the inference of discouraging dependency can be made, the message is mainly that those who do not face the challenges of life and work assiduously defying sunshine should satisfy themselves with the crumbs that fall from the table of the hardworking ones.The proverb discourages laziness and implies the need for everyone to be hardworking.
Prompt: How does this relate to Okonkyo's life? How about his personality?
"If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings."
Types: Denotative
Analysis: The proverb portrays the honor and dignity attributed to cleanliness and responsibility. It thematizes hands washing, a good character training and hygienic way of eating as indispensable to honor. We can infer that if a person does the right thing at the right time, as the proverb entails, good fortune, honor, reverence, esteem and credit will be his, just like eating together with kings.
"When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk."
Types: Collocative, Stylistic
Analysis: Reference is made to another cosmic body, the moon, in this proverb, as “shining” collocates with “the moon” and “cripple” collocates metaphorically with “walk”. The sense of the proverb lies in the cause-effect theory that if motivation is given, action arises. In essence, night is conventionally taken as a period of rest but in a situation where there is moon-light, not only the able-bodied feels the need to walk or work in the night but even the cripple does. Night is implied and not stated for stylistic purposes while “hungry”, a marked word that ordinarily does not apply to “walk”, is also used for stylistic effect. The underlining message is that a good cause or motivation occasions a good effect or line of action.
"A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness."
Types: Denotative, Affective
Analysis: This piece of advice almost coincides with the English proverb,“one good turn deserves another” . If a person accords honor or reverence to the successful ones, it is likely that he is also going to besuccessful. In other words, the proverb means that a person who helps another man helps himself indirectly as he becomes familiar with what that man engages in – and this will ultimately lead him to greatness, directlyor indirectly.
Prompt: Okonkwo explaining why he has come to Nwakibie. How does this sound in retrospect to Okonkwo's downfall?
"A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing."
Types:Denotative/Stylistic
Analysis: The toad is a nocturnal animal. If such an animal therefore does “run” (alexical item preferred by the author for metaphorical or stylistic effect, against the normal collocative word, “jump”) in the day, there must be something amiss. The sense of the proverb is that there is a cause for anything strange that happens; there must be a reason, at least “no smoke without fire”. A toad running in daytime is probably pursuing something or certainly something is pursuing it. It has to do with the “cause-effect” relationship.
"An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb."
Types:Denotative/Thematic
Analysis: This proverb also exhibits a “cause-effect” relationship as it thematises the old woman. It means that people who have negative features feel disturbed when such features are being highlighted. There is the effect or response of uneasiness with reference to the dry bones because an old woman whose dry bones are signs of impending death is always scared of death. The sense of the proverb, essentially, is that conscience worries people of negative attributes even when they are not addressed but their excesses (so to say) are being condemned.
Prompt: Okonkwo remembering his own father. In context of a joke about someone who refused to honor his fathers shrine with a fowl. Is there any fear in Okonkwo? Does he ignore his own proverbs?
"The lizard that jumped from the high Iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did."
Types:Denotative/Connotative
Analysis: The proverb elicits the self-contentment and joy of good work. Good work, we can infer, is in itself commendable whether people appreciate it or not. Reference is made to the lizard which nods after any activity it engages in, implicating its self-praise. The animal is personified for poetic effect. The English equivalent of “if you don’t blow your trumpet, nobody will blow it for you” may further illustrate the sense of the proverb – that if you donot appreciate your worth and dignify yourself, people may not bother to do it for you.
Prompt: Said by Okonkwo, explaining his capacity for hard work before Nwakibie, his sons and neighbors. What is the role of honor and praise in this novel? Is this a good or bad feature of a culture?
"Eneke the bird says since men have learnt to shoot without missing, he has learnt to fly without perching."
Types:Denotative/Connotative
Analysis:Like the previous proverb, this proverb derives its message from folklore, in which human attributes are given to animals/non-human creatures.The meaning is both literal and figurative as well as multi-dimensional in scope. Changing situations give birth to innovations. If students, for example,develop novel means of cheating in the examinations, referentially, the authorities also devise new strategies of apprehending or detecting the cheats.
Prompt: How does this relate to Okonkwo's life? Is there any problematic assumptions in this proverb?
"If one finger brought oil, it soiled the others."
Types:Denotative/Connotative/Stylistic
Analysis: The proverb underlines the concept of collective responsibility: what one does implicates the involvement of the others. With tact reference to our knowledge or ideas of the world, if a finger is dipped into the oil, other fingers get smeared alongside since they are together. In other words, a shameful act by a person brings shame, odium and opprobrium to him and by extension, tohis family and community. Stylistic considerations impinge on the choice of “brought” and “soiled” from the existing alternatives – which could further communicate the same idea.
Prompt: Okonkwo's exile, but his rationale that one could not ignore offenses against the earth. How does this relate to Okonkwo's own family situation? To Africa and Europe as a whole?
How do Europeans intevene in the lifeworld of traditional Igbo society? (HINT: Tale of tortoise and the birds—Tortoise: Colonial power; Birds: Colonized populations subject to manipulation)
Proverbs are the glue that binds a whole book together, and their significance often spreads above and beyond their original context. Proverbs are wise sayings that address the heart of the discourse in any given context, truthfully and objectively. In Africa and in Nigerian cultures especially, they convey meanings to the hearts of the listeners. Examples of proverbs include:
If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings.
If you don't stand for something, you will fall for something.
It takes a whole village to raise a child
The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did.
I decided to conduct research on articles and books about proverbs and the significance of proverbs in text, African literature and prose. In the next post, I will be analysing the proverbs used in the work of a Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe’s "Things Fall Apart". Quoting from an article in the Afrostyle magazine, "The sayings of Africa are some of the most profound words you’ll ever hear."
Proverbs have had a great influence on the lifestyles of many people, mainly through means of religion and culture. They share with the world the practical wisdom the people have learnt in their way of life. The Zulu proverb “You cannot chase two antelope at once” developed when African people found they could only capture one animal at a time because if they tried to focus on more than one, the animals they hunt would all get away. This practical wisdom of tackling one thing at a time applies to people all over the world not just those chasing after wildlife. Proverbs also provide an understanding of the way of life in Africa. The view on gender roles in Africa is summed up by the proverb from Ghana that says “A woman is a flower in a garden; her husband is the fence around it", revealing that the wife was the frailer and gentler party whereas the husband was deemed as a protective barrier and defence, perhaps more agressive and possessive.
Proverbs help to dispel the belief that a people are barbaric and uneducated for there’s often a stigma surrounding people who can’t speak English and aren’t educated in a typical western manner. When these proverbs are translated it’s easy to see the intelligence and life experience the people of Africa possess. It also shows that a society and its way of life aren’t superior to that of another society.
It’s often said that a picture can tell a thousand words and proverbs have the ability to explain a thousand words in one simple sentence or statement. There are many long winded essays, articles and papers on how thinking positively is beneficial. Yet, the Tanzanian proverb “One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn’t feel the cold” sums this up in one line. In addition to positive thinking, proverbs tend to be uplifting and inspiring. One such example is the Zulu proverb “You should face your responsibilities squarely; no elephant ever found its trunk too heavy”.
Proverbs provide hard hitting messages in a profound way rather than in a nasty or demoralizing manner. One such example is the Zulu proverb, “when you bite indiscriminately, you end up eating your own tail”. Another example is from Gambia “words are like bullets; if they escape you can’t catch them again”. These proverbs subtly warn people of the consequences of their actions.
Proverbs were and still are important in traditional societies because they’re relevant in a number of court proceedings. They’re considered part of traditional texts and are used by litigants to a great extent, the same way as the texts of judicial authorities. Proverbs in the political system emphasize the dual aspect- the leader holds the traditional authority but his appointment and removal shall be in the hands of the people. The Fante (the Akan people who reside in most of the southern half of Ghana and adjoining areas of Côte d’Ivoire), discuss their traditions and customs by continually employing proverbs in their arguments. Their collection helps the ethnographer to determine the ideal forms of behavior and even in some areas, the verbalization of the law.
Proverbs open the doors to insightful and entertaining discussions. Using proverbs in a discussion is an entertaining way to narrate your point. They can also give a greater potency to any message you are trying to convey. If you wanted to try and explain to someone the consequences of lying, the Yoruba proverb “you may tell little lies, small as a thorn, but they will grow to the size of a spear and kill you” poignantly teaches this lesson.
Folktales from Africa are a major part of African oral literature and were traditionally passed down by word of mouth. Often they were told by the light of the moon around a village fire after the completion of a long day of work. The stories rarely ended with the words we so often heard as children when our parents told us bedtime stories -- "and they all lived happily ever after". Most stories didn't end happily ever after. Usually the stories taught a lesson, and frequently, the selfish person learnt the lesson the hard way.
Below are a few links to examples of famous folktales:
Folklore is a tradition passed down through generations. African folktales frequently include elements of nature and animals are often portrayed as main characters and personified as humans.
This closeness to nature is an intriguing and extremely integral factor of African culture, revealed not just in folklore alone but in many forms of traditional African literature, oral or written alike. Africans live close to nature, worship elements of nature and the gods whom they believe create Mother Nature. The way they present their literature is often inspired by nature and the human way they portray animals reveals a lifestyle where flora and fauna are almost like brothers and sisters to them, a lifestyle where Africans closely observe wildlife and portray them with characteristics they believe closely reflect humans' behaviour. Below, I will be covering the types of storytelling techniques and certain well-known African folktales.
Way of Communicating
There is a rich, fertile legacy of folklore from Africa. Folk tales and myths serve as a means of handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next. The storytelling tradition has thrived for generations because of the absence of printed material. Folk tales prepare young people for life, as there are many lessons to be learned from the tales. Because of the history of this large continent, which includes the forceful transplanting of the people into slavery on other continents, many of the same folk tales exist in North America, South America, and the West Indies. These are told with little variation, for the tales were spread by word of mouth and were kept among the African population.
In addition to the folk tales, there are myths, legends, many proverbs, tongue twisters, and riddles.
Anansi
Anansi, the Spider, is one of the major trickster figures in African folk tales. (West African especially) This spider can be wise, foolish, amusing, or even lazy--but always there is a lesson to be learned from Anansi. The spider tales have traveled from Africa to the Caribbean Islands. Sometimes the spelling is changed from Anansi to Ananse. In Haiti the spider is called Ti Malice. Anansi stories came into the United Stated through South Carolina. The Anansi spider tales are told as "Aunt Nancy" stories by the Gullah of the southeastern part of the U.S.
In the African folk tales, the stories reflect the culture where animals abound; consequently, the monkey, elephant, giraffe, lion, zebra, crocodile, and rhinoceros appear frequently along with a wide variety of birds such as the ostrich, the secretary bird, and the eagle. The animals and birds take on human characteristics of greed, jealousy, honesty, loneliness, etc. Through their behavior, many valuable lessons are learned. Also, the surroundings in which the tales take place reveal the vastness of the land and educate the reader about the climate, such as the dry season when it hasn't rained for several years, or the rainy season when the hills are slick with mud. The acacia trees swaying in a gentle breeze, muddy streams that are home to fish, hippos and crocodiles, moss covered rocks, and giant ant hills that serve as a "back scratcher" for huge elephants, give the reader a sense of the variety of life in this parched or lush land in this part of the world.
Types of African Folk Tales
UNCLE REMUS TALES
These are very well-known folk tales from Africa. In the Uncle Remus stories, Bre'r Rabbit is the outstanding trickster figure. Hare, or Little Hare, appears in this role in the eastern part of Africa. The tortoise is a primary trickster figure in the Nigerian tales.
TORTOISE AND THE HARE
In African versions of this tale, the tortoise wins because he uses his wits. In the European versions, on the other hand, the tortoise wins through sheer endurance and grit. The triumph of brain over physical strength is a common thread that runs through the trickster tales from Africa. The trickster figure is clever, witty, and unscrupulous, as are trickster figures all over the world, but the African trickster almost always wins out because of his brilliance.
A WEALTH OF PROVERBS
There are many thousands of proverbs from African folk tales. A single tribe may have as many as a thousand--or even several thousand--of their own. So there are proverbs in abundance from this continent. Many times, a proverb is spoken in a tale by a character, rather than being left for the end of the story. Some of the more familiar proverbs do not need a story context in order to figure out the meaning. For example, "Do not set the roof on fire and then go to bed"; "He who runs and hides in the bushes does not do it for nothing; if he is not doing the chasing, we know that something is chasing him"; and "Chicken says: We follow the one who has something."
DILEMMA TALES
Many stories are deliberately left without an ending. This leaves the ending wide open for audience discussion and participation. The ending of the tale would be determined by the group of people involved in the exercise. The ending, therefore, is flexible and might change depending upon who is participating.
STRING STORIES
Making a simple loop from string and telling a tale with the string by twisting and turning the string to represent different parts of the story, is one of the oldest forms of storytelling in the world. In parts of Africa, the native children who cannot speak a word of English can often communicate with an English-speaking foreign visitor via a string story. It is a way of getting acquainted without words, and is a form of communication as different cultures share string stories. Some of the African string figures are the same as those of Pacific Ocean islanders or Eskimos of the far north.
Below is an illustration of a string story originating from the Eskimos.
THE ROLE OF THE AUDIENCE IN STORYTELLING
Many of the folk tales have musical participation by the audience that adds much to the tale. It is common for the audience to answer questions aloud, to clap their hands in rhythm to word repetition (chorus), and to join in the chorus. The audience participation cannot be cut short, or the audience will let the storyteller know it. Some of the tales have a repetitive quality to them (such as, the same chorus may be used repeatedly) because the audience wants to enjoy the story and participate in the experience for as long as possible.
CROCODILE TALES
There are a wealth of crocodile tales from Africa. In parts of West Africa, a person attacked by a crocodile is said to be the victim of the vengeance of someone he has harmed. It is said that he who kills a crocodile becomes a crocodile. A South African Vandau proverb reminds us that: "The strength of the crocodile is in the water." In another tale, the fox claims to have the answer to killer-crocodiles who terrorize the people. He says the solution is simple. He eats their eggs. The ending proverb is, "Get rid of your enemy before he is stronger than you."
Language can be conveyed by drums. The Ashanti and other West African tribes, just by the rhythms and intervals in beating their drums by their fingers, the flat of their hand, or the thumb, can convey messages and be understood over long distances. Many different tones can be made by the pressure of the arm under which a drum is held. The stick for beating the drum came later. We still refer to a turkey leg as the "drum stick."
THE KIND LION
This type of tale is from Africa, where lions live in the wild. It is the idea that the Lion, King of the Beasts, lets his victims go for one reason or another, and then this good deed is rewarded in the end by the victim saving the life of the lion. It is the "one good turn deserves another" motif. This kindly lion theme spread from Africa to Europe.
THE SACRED VULTURE
"Opete" is the Twi term for the vulture. This bird is believed to be an instrument of the gods by the Ashanti and other West African peoples. This story of the sacred bird has survived in the New World and in the Caribbean.
In contrast to the common perception of European literature which generally refers only to written documents, African literature greatly involves and includes oral literature. Traditionally, Africans have revered good stories and storytellers, as have most past and present peoples around the world who are rooted in oral cultures and traditions. Ancient writing traditions do exist on the African continent, but most Africans today, as in the past, are primarily oral peoples, and their art forms are oral rather than literary.
In contrast to written "literature," African "orature" is often created to be verbally and communally performed as an integral part of dance and music. Oral literature (or orature) is often sung or recited, by bards or griots (West African praise-singers, poets or musicians) and can take the form of songs, with tongue-twisters, recitations, poetry, proverbs and riddles. Manners, customs, superstitions, ballads, proverbs, etc. are roughly the constituents of oral literature. The Oral Arts of Africa are rich and varied, developing with the beginnings of African cultures, and they remain living traditions that continue to evolve and flourish today.
Oral literature is often referred to as "traditional literature", "folk literature" or "folklore". It simply means "literature delivered by word of mouth". There are certain techniques which may be used to good effect in oral literature but which may not work in written literature; on the other hand, there are certain techniques and elements in written literature which may be seen as borrowings or survivals from oral literature.
For the African people, oral tradition is linked to their way of life. Most African societies place great worth in oral tradition because it is a primary means of conveying culture. It is also a mode of transmitting feelings, and attitudes. For centuries, African people depended upon oral tradition to teach the listener's important traditional values and morals pertaining to how to live. Oral tradition delivers explanations to the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life on earth. In African religion, it is the guiding principle in which to make sense of the world.
The storyteller (griot) was an artist in himself as he had to make the stories interesting and colourful to relay the message and also to keep the interest of the people who were listening to him. The myths and legends would relate how the world began and the meaning of life on earth. Some of the folktales which were told were meant to teach a lesson to those listening to deter them from making mistakes or behaving in a selfish or mean way as some of the characters in these stories did. African oral literature is often told using "call-and-response" techniques, where the storyteller would engage the audience through interaction with them.
Another integral part of Oral tradition is the integrating of music. Music plays an important role in African societies. Music, dance and singing are found in every community. Music also transmits knowledge and values, and it is way of celebrating important community and personal events. Combined with oral tradition and dance, a visual art form is created for the message being communicated. The most important musical instrument of Africa is the drum. Drums accompany different forms of communication, including storytelling, singing, and dancing. The drum was widely used to pass messages to the people of the village and also to the surrounding villages. The drummer was considered very important because it was his choice of words and the way he composed his songs that would relay the right message to those listening. The drum he would use was considered almost sacred.
Proverbs and riddles were also used to teach those listening about the good and bad qualities in human beings and how to judge a good character. A West African proverb goes like this "A large eye does not mean keen vision" which cautions a person not to be too trusting of another and not to take things at face value. Another one says "If you run after two hares you will catch neither." This obviously teaches the listener not to be greedy and to be content with what you have no matter how little. I would be dwelving more into proverbs in another post on "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.
