Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

60. “osa suweya longo ndi anu eki o-kpwe-lele e-mbei meene;timba o-mbusa,ongo fee eki wa ese-lele,wo-ndenga o-kpweli” !

Examining only the spot on which you have fallen is not enough.  Go back and examine also the spot where you started to encounter the difficulties that have caused your fall.

Source:  Tales of the Animal World.

Yasi nanu:  Mbgwa was running fast to meet his friends when he unfortunately fell on the ground.  After Mbgwa hand examined the spot on which he fell, and was about to continue his journey, Yongoole asked Mbgwa:
“Have you also examined the spot on which you started to encounter the difficulties that have caused your fall” ?

Replying Mbgwa said: 
“No  !  It is not necessary to do so.
My interest is to take note of the spot where the accident has occurred”

59 “si, u-mwa faaya, yondi, e-tani yase-yase, nyenge-lee, nanu oma, enge faaya, esa-laava”.

If you find a farm in which most crops and fruits are ripe and mature for harvesting and some of the fruits and crops are lying on the ground rotten, it should immediately occur to you that no one harvests from that farm.

Source: Tales from the Animal World.

faaya = big a farm.

Yasi nanu: Kema  Nyame was pleased to discover a farm in which most of the fruits and crops were ripe and mature for harvesting.  Plantains, bananas, apples, oranges, palm nuts - all ripe; sugar canes, very tall

“liko, litaana;
egbwi-ye, litaana;
vefuma, litaana;
vii-ja, litaana;
mekoko, kolo-lolo, o-mwanyu”.

Keme immediately started to weave a container (motete) in which he hoped he would carry some of the products of the farm to his home. Kaki Inoni who was resting on a tree in the farm warned Keme:

“Please, don't venture to harvest any crops/fruits from this farm”

(“osi-keka  li-wo-wa  moleli  o-tena  mono  moonda") !

Keme responding angrily asked: ma-nde-nga ?

"Why” ?

58. “oo-ko, osi taane !; oo-ko osa taana” !

Bathe but you will never come out clean

 

Maito, maito  kai:  It’s time to tell Tales of the Animal World. 

Ngoni  OR  Ngona  maliva  = mud fish.

Yasi nanu:  Ngona  Maliva consulted the renowned doctor and sorcerer, Mosongo Inoni, and complained:

"Mola  koo-ko !
I bathe repeatedly but I am not yet clean.
I have bathed in shallow river water.
I have bathed in deep river water.
I have bathed in sea/salt water.
I have bathed with “woongo  wo  mboli” and good quality soap (“soova  mandenge”).
I have also bathed with soap manufactured by the White man (e-Mokala  Mbongo).
But, slime continues to remain on my skin; and the colour of my skin continues to remain black."