Translation: The slap of the hand from an enemy will not hurt, but the angry touch, even of a flower, from a friend will wound.
Story: A king sentenced a man to death by stoning; the order was that every man in the city should throw a stone at the prisoner. A friend of the man heard of the stern orders, and said within himself, “What shall I do? How can I throw a stone upon my friend? I must not, and can not, hurt my dear and kind friend”. Accordingly he plucked a flower, and was determined to throw it so skillfully that the people would think that he had thrown a stone..He went to the place of execution and flung the flower at his friend, who then spoke the above proverb.
