In the one hand he is carrying a stone, while he shows the bread in the other.

The image of someone offering “bread” while concealing a “stone” suggests deceit masked as generosity: a promise of benefit paired with an intention to harm or disappoint. Read as a comic-moral observation in Plautine fashion, it evokes the stock figure of the trickster or hypocrite—someone who courts trust with a show of kindness while keeping coercion, fraud, or betrayal ready at hand. The contrast also underscores how appearances can be staged to manipulate others, a recurring concern in Roman comedy where social relations are negotiated through bluff, disguise, and calculated persuasion.