In which a Granddad and his granddaughter both learn a painful lesson.
“A nettle will not sting you
If there’s flowers on its stem,”
I told a certain granddaughter,
“So don’t be scared of them.”
“Look, that one has got flowers,
So it’s ok to touch.
There, what d’you think of my advice?”
She jumped and yelled “Not much!
“That nettle went and stung me,
It gave me such a fright.
You touch it too, now, Granddad
And see if I’m not right.”
“Ouch!” I cried, “It stung me!”
Said Granny, “You were right,
Except you didn’t mention
The flowers must be white!”*
Thus, granddaughter discovered
What Granny knew all along:
Granddads they are always right,
Except when they are wrong.
* Dead nettles (Lamium album) have white flowers. The one we touched had green flowers (Urtica dioica, a proper stinging nettle) – see picture.