“Before eating, open your mouth.”

Nothing can be accomplished without first taking the basic, obvious step needed to begin.

“One must talk little, and listen a lot.”

Wisdom favors those who listen more than they speak.

“He who has no spoon will burn his hands.”

Without the right tools or preparation, a person suffers avoidable harm.

“A donkey which goes to grow horns returns with its ears cut off.”

Chasing after something beyond one's nature can cost what a person already had.

“Not all the flowers of a tree produce fruit.”

Not every promising beginning or beautiful appearance leads to real, lasting results.

“It is only the water that is spilled; the bowl is not broken.”

A setback is not always a disaster — what is truly lost may be far less than it first appears.