Wednesday, June 8, 2011

There's a much more detailed reason

Growing up in Gh, I often heard the short explanations why kids shouldn't do certain things.
In our hometown, you'd be told to hush if you started whistling after sunset. Why shouldn't you whistle? Well, go right ahead and whistle, and the dwarves in the forest will come running.
There were many more of these types of "reasons" to deter kids from doing lots of other things. They didnt make sense, but they served a purpose. Easier for hard-headed kids to remember.
The real reason was to prevent kids from disturbing serene nights with their whistling.

Here are a few more
- Dont sweep at night.
Cant remember what dramatic thing would happen, but it was to prevent people without enough light in their rooms, from sweeping away their valuables.
- Females don't braid their hair at night. Those that did, would never get husbands.
The real reason was that less light at night wouldn't help in getting the hair done nicely.
- When washing your hands at the faucet, don't allow anyone to wash theirs beneath yours. If they did, they would be spiriting all your wealth to themselves.
Real reason was to get kids to wait their turn and wash their hands with fresh water from the faucet.

Those old folks meant well. At the time, I guess they chose the dramatic effect to get their message across.

Do you have any similar ones to share?

7 comments:

  1. hahahahaha,Lies our smart old folks tell just to make us do the right things.I was told not to look back when walking alone on a bush path. i am guessing they did not want anything to attack me "the city Boy".. never been on that path alone after hearing that..lol

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  2. And boy did that message get across. I still haven't been able to get myself to sweep at night no matter how bright the light provided by ECG is and I always catch myself telling others to hush when I hear them whistle in the night. For me, it is so not done.
    I remember there's this one, don't talk or sing while taking a bath or the dwarves (as for these dwarves, hmmmmm... I wonder how these minute sized people could put so much fear in us) would come whisk you away. I guess the real reason was so as not to get soap into your mouth or something.

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  3. lol.........

    don't play the flute at night cos the snakes will come...........mum jus needed her sleep .

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  4. LOL

    Well dont walk across a ladies legs, or she might not get pregnant. If you mistakenly walked across her, you have to cross her back again

    Also do not give an older person anything with a left hand. Its considered as major disrespect. LOL

    Tribute to you here-->http://efemenaoreoluwa.blogspot.com/2011/06/scandal-in-blogsville-treating-latest.html

    Mena

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  5. Didi, I wonder if the same method would work in trying to deter kids from walking down dark alleys in big cities today. Worth passing the "lesson" on. LoL

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  6. Efua Dentaa, They sure scared us with dwarves. I remember one of our books in primary school had a picture of them with their feet pointing the opposite way. That image is still stuck in my head.

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  7. @ Lani. You got that right! Mom's diplomatic way of saying "enough of that darn flute".

    Welcome to this joint.

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