ድብብቆሽ
Summary
This book was inspired by a wise saying from Ethiopia. Ethiopian languages are full of proverbs and fables and wise sayings that many people know and use. The wise sayings often rhyme in Amharic. If an adult says the first half, many children can chant the second half. Sometimes the meaning of these sayings is clear. Sometimes it has to be puzzled out and argued over. But sayings and idioms and proverbs help people express truths and beliefs in unusual ways. Many dogs in Ethiopia are working animals. But these days more families are also willing to think of a dog as a possible pet. Woubeshet Ayenew, who is a cardiologist in Minneapolis and also helps Ready Set Go books with cultural reviews, says that some people in Ethiopia use the help of dogs to get rid of warts. He writes, "What is usually done is that yogurt is poured over the wart (often on arm or leg) and the dog is enticed to lick the yogurt. This is done again and again over days. Possibly from acidity of the yogurt or perhaps that combined with the saliva of the dog (which is actually alkaline), people have sworn getting rid of warts."