Kerem had always wanted a red bicycle. On his tenth birthday, his parents surprised him with one. He was so excited that he immediately took it outside—without even checking the brakes. He pedaled fast, laughing with joy. But as he went down a hill, he realized the brakes weren’t working properly. He couldn’t stop. He crashed into a bush and fell hard. His knees were bruised, and he went home in tears.
After that day, Kerem changed. Every time he rode his bike, he carefully checked the brakes first. He also rode more slowly, especially on hills. His friends teased him, saying, “Why are you so slow now?”
Kerem smiled and replied, “I just don’t want to fall again.”
That experience taught him to be careful, and he never made the same mistake again.
As the old saying goes: “Once bitten, twice shy.”
Or in Turkish: “Sütten ağzı yanan, yoğurdu üfleyerek yer.”