THE BOY AND THE NETTLE

A BOY was once stung by a Nettle. Crying with pain, he ran home and

told his mother, saying, “Although it pains me so much, I did but touch

it ever so gently, for I had been hurt by it before.”

“That was just it,” said his mother. “It was that which gave you so

bad a sting. The next time you have occasion to touch a Nettle, grasp

it boldly, with courage and resolution. It will be as soft as silk in

your hand and will not hurt you in the least. And you will meet many

persons, as well as things, that must be handled in the same way, if

you would escape discomfort from them.”

Æsop's Fables: A Version for Young Readers · 第 125 / 226 题