Wisdom is like a goatskin bag; every man carries his own.
A disease that has never been seen before cannot be cured with every-day herbs.
Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too – If one says no to the other, let his wing break.
If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings.
When a new saying gets to the land of empty men, they lose their heads over it.
A man who does not lick his lips, can he blame the harmattan for drying them?
Travellers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves.
A man of worth never gets up to unsay what he said yesterday.
You do not know me,’ said Tortoise. ‘I am a changed man. I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others makes trouble for himself.
When brothers fight to the death, a stranger inherits their father’s estate.
A child cannot pay for its mother’s milk.
It always surprised him when he thought of it later that he did not sink under the load of despair.
The singer should sing well even if it is merely to himself, rather than dance badly for the whole world.
We do not seek to hurt any man, but if any man seeks to hurt us may he break his neck.
Most writers who are beginners, if they are honest with themselves, will admit that they are praying for a readership as they begin to write. But it should be the quality of the craft, not the audience, that should be the greatest motivating factor.
Do you blame a vulture for perching over a carcass?
What kind of power was it if it would never be used?
The emperor would prefer the poet to keep away from politics, the emperor’s domain, so that he can manage things the way he likes.
It is difficult to express the reality of Ibo society in classical English.
A coward may cover the ground with his words but when the time comes to fight he runs away.