There is no story that is not true, [...] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.

A man who lived on the banks of the Niger should not wash his hands with spittle.

I couldn't tell you why but now I know a story is in fact where you discover who you are, where a culture discovers what it is and I just think that this is a terribly important place to get into and that I would enjoy it.

Age was respected among his people, but achievement was revered. As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings.

For people who are coming out of an oral tradition, it is very exciting to get into reading and writing and it is quite interesting how frequently people want to write their own story. Sometimes it is straight history - this is how we came about, how our town was created, a lot of that kind of effort, as soon as literacy came. The first thing you wanted to do was to put something down about who you are or how you are related to you neighbors. Then the next stage would be the stories, the cultural part of the story: this is the kind of world our ancestors made or aspired to.

Wisdom is like a goatskin bag; every man carries his own.

The man that brings ant-infested faggots into his hut should not grumble when lizards begin to pay him a visit.