“Slander spoken by the stream will be heard by the frogs.”

Gossip and secrets always spread; nothing said in the open truly stays hidden.

“On a dead tree there are no monkeys.”

People gather where there is life and opportunity, not around what has already failed.

“If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister.”

Leaving home to see the wider world is essential; those who never leave stay narrow and limited.

“A snake that you can see does not bite.”

A visible, acknowledged danger can be managed; it is the hidden threat that harms you.

“Witch doctors do not sell their potions to each other.”

True experts recognize their own kind and do not need to trade among themselves.

“Once a man has been bitten by a lion, he buys a dog.”

Painful experience teaches caution and leads people to take real precautions afterward.