Proverb in the local language
Yiroo simee baa kono naa-o-naa ate kela bamboo ti.
A tree and water
Proverb's direct translation
No matter how long a tree stays in water, it will never become a crocodile.
Proverb's meaning
You are what you are, it is hopeless to change it.
Equivalent proverb
A leopard doesn't change its spots.
From: Mandinka
General comments
The Mandinka of West Africa are also known as the Malinike, Mandingo or Mande. They live in the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire.
