SPECIMKNS OF COMPOSITION. 65 



65. Abati jYlakpa; ii ba a ti, d bii a re. 

 Shakiness of old-wall ; we against it push, we with it are-fricndly. 



It is like a shaltj old wall ; we push against it, and (finding that it docs not fall) we make 

 friends with it (by sitting down in its shade). — Said of persons whom wo arc at first suspicious 

 of, but, on furtlier acquaintance, receive into our friendship. 



66. Abebe ni ibe ikii, abebe ni ibe oraq ; bi oru ba mii, 



Pleader it-is pleads o8' death, p'''«<'f'' 27-i« ^:i?fa(^« off difficulty ; if heat * is-sharp, 



abebe ni ib^ e. 



fan it-is dissipates it, 



A pleader (or siipplicator) wards off death, a pleader ivards off a difficulty ; if the heat is severe, 

 a fan mitigates it. — A fanciful play upon the word 'abebe ' is the principal design of this pro- 

 verbial saying. It also shows the power of entreaty. 



67. lyaq mii, ire yo ; iyai] ro, ire ru. 

 Famine is-sharp, cricket is-fat ; famine is-relieved, cricket is-poor. 



When famine is sharp, the cricket is fat ; when famine is relieved, the cricket is pioor. — A 

 paradoxical play upon words. It also expresses the fact that when famine prevails, the cricket 

 is eaten as if it were fat or delicious ; but when the famine is over, the cricket is rejected as 

 poor and unfit to eat. 



68. Oclio kpa bata bdta, bata bdta, li ori akpdta, li ode adzdlubiita ; bdta 

 Rain beats ^Jo<<cr patter, patter patter, on top of rock, in yard of chief-drummer ; drum 



li igi, bata li awo. 



is wood, shoe is hide. 



The rain beats, " shoe drum, shoe drum," [or patter patter,) on the rock in the yard of the chief 

 drummer ; the drum is wood, and the shoe is leather. — A play upon words. 



69. Kdnakdua ba kduakiina dzti, kauakdna dd kduakdna. — Eui. 



Croiv with crow fought, crow conquered croio. — One. 



A crow fought with a crow, a crow conquered a crow. — One. — The Yonibas sometimes 

 amuse themselves by repeating a play upon words by way of competition. At the end of the 

 sentence, each time it is repeated, a bystander says, " one," " two," &c. ; and he who repeats 

 the sentences oftenest without marring a syllable is victor. 



VO. Ose ni isadzu ekiii), abamd ni igbeliiq orai] ; gbogbo 



Smacking-of-lips it-is ^j^-eccrfes ivecjnng, mortification it-is follows difficulty ; whole 



otokulu kpe, nwoq k6 ri ebo abamo se. 



of town assemble, they not see sacrifice of mortification io-make. 



As smacking the lips precedes weeping, so mortification follows a difficulty ; the whole pojnt- 

 lation of the totvn assembled cannot find a sacrifice to make against mortification. 



71. Ikpa obere li okuq ito. 

 Path of needle it-is thread follows. 



The thread folloivs the needle. — Applied to anything which happens as a natural consequence. 



C5. A ba a ti {we meet it to-push), we push against it. 



60. Oral), a difficulty, generally a cause before the judges. 



67. The ' ire ' is a large cricket eaten by the poor in times of scarcity. 



70. Ose ; the Yoruba people are accustomed to smack their lips several times before they begin to weep. 



