Proverbs - Fables - Tales

Throughout Things Fall Apart, proverbs and fables are frequently used. At times these sayings and tales are used to explain various philosophies and at other moments, their purpose seems insignificant to the novel’s development.
- “When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk” (Achebe 10). On dark nights even the bravest men are forced into their huts in fear of dangers they cannot see. On nights when the moon is full light is shed over the village. This allows danger to be seen and lessens the fear of all people, even those that seem weak.
- “Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break” (Achebe 19). In times of hardship enemies unify to insure each others survival. If one of these parties should refuse the other, they deserve to fail.
- “As the saying goes, an old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb” (Achebe 21). Death is not a matter to joke about and this causes ill feelings among those who appear close to death or who have had someone close to them pass; widows or the elderly.
- “The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did” (Achebe 21). Live to fulfill your own aspirations and not those of the others.
- “Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching” (Achebe 22). One must learn to do things to survive or to prosper. If he does not adapt he will fail.
- Vulture Tale (p 53-54): This tale has no significance and is only used to explain the type of stories Nwoye’s mother tells him. There is no lesson or knowledge gained from this tale. It therefore cannot be considered a fable.
- Tortoise Fable (p 96-99): This fable has no real importance to the way the story flows but it is very entertaining. Ekwefi tells Ezimna the story of how the tortoise supposedly gained an uneven shell with the appearance of scales. The tortoise tricks the birds into giving him a feather each so he can fly to the feast in the sky and partake of the food. Once he arrives he tricks them into allowing him to eat first. IN doing so he consumes most of the god food. In anger the birds take their feathers back leaving him stranded in the sky. The tortoise asks one bird to tell the tortoise’s wife to put a pile of their soft possessions outside of the house so he can jump down from the clouds safely. The bird tells her to put their jagged and rough items outside and the tortoise unknowing jumps down on to the objects. This ruins his rough shell. One lesson Ezimna can take from this fable is that dishonesty does not pay.