“A stone from the hand of a friend is an apple.”

A gift or hard truth from a friend, however rough it seems, is given in goodwill and should be received as such.

“Before eating, open your mouth.”

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

“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.