A short Story> There was a man who has two sons, he gave them each an iroko tree sapling to plant. The first son took care of his tree, he watered it, trimmed the branches and shaped it as it grew but the second son left his tree carelessness to grow wild thinking there is time to trimmed it later. As time passes, the first son tree grew straight and strong, perfect to be used but the second son's tree became huge with thick stubborn branches. When he decided to trimmed it, the branches wouldn't bend again.
This is a Yoruba proverb that has strong meaning
Translation in English
"A ti"="We have" / "One has"
"kekee"="small"/"young"(referring to the early stage)
"e" = "it" (referring to the iroko tree or child)
"ti p’eitan"="to trim its branches" ("eitan" means branches, "pe" means to bend or shape)
"u’oko i"="the iroko tree"(iroko is a strong, hardwood tree)
"do ba"="if it"
"d’agba tan"="grows old completely" ("d’agba"means to mature, "tan" means fully)
"e i du ka ma"="it cannot be bent again" ("du" means to bend, "ka ma" means no longer possible.
Meaning of the Proverb
This is a proverb for parents, teachers, and guardians and It mean If you want to train or shape a child’s behavior and character, you must do it while they are still young. If you wait too long or allow them to grow into in adult, it may become very hard sometimes, almost impossible to correct them.
When a child is still young, his/her mind is open. They are learning how the world works. This is the best time to teach them what is right and wrong.
A young tree can be gently bent, supported, or trimmed to grow in the right direction. In the same way, a young child can be guided with love, discipline, and teaching. If you do this early, the child will grow up with good habits and good character.
If a parent, teacher or guardian ignores a child’s bad behaviors when they are small, it may become a habit. If you wait too long to teach a child the right path, you may miss the chance. As the child grows older, those habits grow stronger, just like the branches of the iroko tree and when the child becomes an adult, changing their ways becomes much harder. They may not listen anymore. They may no longer respect advice or accept correction. Their character has become strong. They may even believe that what they are doing is right. It becomes much more difficult to change their thinking or actions.
Learning is passion, keep learning Everyday..
Thanks for reading @joshel