惊弓之鸟 (jīng gōng zhī niǎo): lit. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow; fig. sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences
惊弓之鸟
lit. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow; fig. sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences
A bird wounded once falls at the mere twang of a bowstring. For someone whose reaction looks out of proportion until you remember what happened to them last time.