Hi Ozmodiar,
I would say proverbs are useful as starting points for stories.
For instance, consider the following: "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link."
You could write a story like:
- Several brothers must face some danger, but one of them has a terrible secret that can destroy the entire family. The family is destroyed
- Some dude makes a robot so powerful that enslaves an entire galaxy, but all I it takes to destroy him is a well placed screwdriver. The rebels destroy the robot and everybody is free again
- A town invests their treasury in a mighty wall but fails to protect a small passage used by men to go fishing in winter. The city falls at he hands of the enemy.
Or you can mix it all:
Some dude makes a robot. This robot gains conscience and devises a plan to kill the imperial family and to substitute the emperor. His plan is to lure one of emperor brothers, who is addicted to to some drug. He tricks the emperor's brother to meet inside palace walls. Inside the robot kills everybody and becomes the new emperor enslaving all humanity.
A group of rebels do not accept the new emperor, so they will try to destroy the robot. They manage to get into his fortified lair by an entrance covered by an eagle's nest, and destroy the invincible robot by inserting a gold dust in contact with his eyes.
The goal here is to prove that the proverb is right.
Hope this helps.