SPECIMENS OF COSirOSITION. 67 



80. Agada ko jiio ori alniibcdc. 



Sabre not knows head <>( hlacksiiiilh. 



(Ill battle) the sabre docs not know the head of the blacksmith (who inii'lc it). — Ajiiilioil to 

 injrratitiule. 



81. Agbcdze gbii avoij Iti, a ui ki d kpa a iii k])aiisa. 



Squash received them safe, they said that they cut it for drinkiny-ciip. 



The squash having saved them (iti time of f'ainiiie), they said, Let us cut it for a driiikiny- 

 cup. — l)esigned to illustrate iiigiatiluile. 



82. A ri abcinidze c^gboq isali;; l>i 6 kit li owilro, a yfi ]i ulc;. 



We see c/uest of chin below; if it die in mornlny, il separates in even.iny. 



We meet with guests who are like the lower jaw ; if one die in the morning, it separates (fioiii 

 the upper jaw) in the evening. — Said of those who forsake their friends in tiuie of trouble. 



83. Akptiro dzare adzanakpa, Ki li 6 inu ago wall ise li oko? A 



Partridge reasoned bird-snare-of-cloth, What is-it he brought cloth coming to-do in farm ? He 



dzare akparo, Li oko li A gbe imu aso iloli. 



reasoned partridge, In farm it-is we do bring clothing going. 



The partridge argued concerning the bird-snare of cloth. Why did the farmer bring cloth to the 



farm ? He replied to the partridge, We are accustomed to take our overclothes to the farm. 



The meaning of this proverb is, that something can be said on both sides of a question. The 

 partridge, seeing a cloth so spread out as to form a bird-snare, was suspicious and said. What does 

 he mean by this? The fanner replied, that people always bring their wrappers to the farm 

 (laying them on the grass or a bush while at work). 



84. Adze, Sdliiga, 6 fi eiii iwadzii sile se eiii eliiij iii kpele. 



Fortune, the Elevator, he jnits one before down to-do one behind in gentli/. 



Adzhe, the Ulevator, he leaves the foremost to deal favorably ivilli the hindmost. — That is the 

 first may sometimes be last, and the last first. 



85. Adze, omo lie — ^ iya mi soi'o ga — A kpa mdli gbagiii]. 



Witch, child of envy — trouble my is-hard is-high — she kills not inherits. 



The witch, child of envy — my troubles are sore and hard — she kills but cannot inherit. 



Witches are thought to destroy people when asleep by sucking their blood like a \ampire. 



86. Adzekasu ku vab bi iyar) mii. 



Loaf-eater not knows if famine pirevails. 



The man who has piloity to eat does not ap>preciate the severity of a famine. 



87. Akeke ti qke igi ko se ; gbfoagbena mbii etu si atari. 



Axe ivhich is-cutting tree not refuses ; woodman ojfcrs j^rojntiation to head. 



The axe which cuts the tree is not afraid ; but the loood-man makes a sacrifice to his head. — 

 Some kinds of trees are supposed to be inhabited by evil spirits, which might inflict some 

 injury on the woodman unless he ofi'ered a sacrifice to his good genius, which is tlunight to reside 

 in the head. 



81. The agbedze grows hard with age, and is cut to make cups; — gba . . . la, to save ; — ki a kpd a, let 

 us cut it (Gram. § 145, 2). 



82. Agboq, the chin ; agb9i) isale, the lower jaw. 



83. Mu...wali, to bring; mu...loh, to take; — gbe, to a.bide, to be, pleonastic like do in Engli-h 

 (Gram. § 187). 



