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Cameroonian Proverbs (001-050)

A small axe is not sufficient to cut down a large tree.

A wrong step by the leader is a warning for those following.

A warthog eating its fill does not delight a pig.

A greedy man always has his eye on his wife’s pot.

A debt is not a loss once one knows the debtor.

A mother is like a kernel, crushed by problems
but strong enough to overcome them.

A fig tree cannot walk, but its roots go very far.

A long beard doesn ot prevent a house going to bed hungry.

A knife does not recognise its owner.

A hen drinks water while it raises its head upward.

A friend in need is a friend in deed.

A genius is he who is first to be right.

A lazy person talks for so long, a determinant does.

A baby cannot be heard crying in his mother's womb.

A chattering bird builds no nest.

A goat never grazes in the same place.

A fish is the last to acknowledge the existence of water.

A goat does not always graze in the same place.

A puppy must not confront a large animal.

A real family eats the same cornmeal.

A stupid cow leads her calf near the road.

A wife is the wealth.

A rooster does not sing on two roofs.

Beating drums is fun, but also tiring.

Beauty is an empty calabash.

Before killing the chicken carefully observe
the character of your guest.

Between imitation and envy, imitation is better.

Brothers who get along will always defeat the enemy.

Do not put your head in front of your words.

Do not grab your heel until the ant has bitten you.

Do not throw away the oars before the boat reaches the shore.

Don’t ask for Glasgow when you have already reached London.

During a storm you seek shelter under a tree and not the clouds.

Eggs and metal do not go in the same basket.

Even your dog knows the homes of your friends.

Even without drumbeats, banana leaves dance.

Even if thin, the elephant remains the king of the forest.

Even if a baby seems unpleasant to look at,
his mother never refuses him.

Every hill is a burial site.

Every hill has its leopard.

God does not ask to withstand more than is possible.

Happiness can grow from only a little contentment.

I pointed out to you the stars and the moon,
and all you saw was the tip of my finger.

If you do not listen to good advice, you will be embarrassed in public.

If your corn field is far from your home, the birds will eat your corn.

If the needle doesn’t pass, the thread doesn't follow.

If you carry the egg basket do not dance.

If a bird does not recognise a tree, it will not rest on it.

If you don't agree with the majority, you are a wizard.

If familiarity were useful, water wouldn’t cook fish.

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