SPECIMENS OF COMPOSITION. G7 



80. Agada ko 1116 ori alagbede. 



Sabre not knows head of blacksmith. 



(In battle) the sabre does not know the head of the blacksmith (wlio made it). — Applied to 

 iugratitude. 



81. Agbed:^e gb^ woq 1^, d ni ki d kpd S ni kpansa. 



Squash received them safe, they said that they cut it for drinkinff-cup. 



The squash having saved them (in time of famine), they said, Let us cut it for a drinkiny- 

 cup. — Designed to illustrate ingratitude. 



82. A ri abdnid^e ^gboq isale; bi 6 kii li 6wur6, k ya li ale. 



We see yuest of chin below ; if it die in morning, it separates in evening. 



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

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



83. Akpdro diare adi;anakpa, Ki li 6 mu aso wdh ise li oko? A 

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



d^are akpdro, Li oko li d gbe imu aso il6h. 



reasoned partridge. In farm it-is ice 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 ovcrclothes 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 abird-snare, was suspicious and said, What does 

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

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



84. Adie, Sdluga, 6 fi eni iwadiu sil^ se eni eliiq ni kpele. 



Fortune, the Elevator, he puts one before doton to-do one behind in gently. 



Adzhe, the Mevalor, he leaves the foremost to deal favorably with the hindmost. — That is, the 

 first may sometimes be last, and the last first. 



85. Ad:ie, omo lie — iya mi ^oro ga — d kpa nidli gb^giiq. 

 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 vampire. 



86. Ad^ekasu k5 in5 bi iyaq rrni. 



Loaf-eater not knows if famine jrrevails. 



The man who has plenty to eat does not appreciate the severity of a famine. 



8*r. Akeke ti qke igi k6 se; gb6nagb(ma mbu etu si atari. 



Axe which is-cutting tree not refuses ; woodman offers propitiation to head. 



The axe which cuts the tree is not afraid ; but the wood-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 thought to reside 

 in the head. 



81. The agbedze grows hard with age, and is cut to make cups; — gba ... Id, to save ; — ki k kp4 a, let 

 us cut it (Gram. § 145, 2). 



82. Agb9i), the chin ; agboq isale, the lower jaw. 



83. Mu...wah, to bring; niu . . . I6I1, to take; — gbe, to abide, to be, pleonastic like do in Englth 

 (Gram. § 187). 



