Lesson 6 The Stinging Nettle

Alfred saw a beautiful flower

growing on the farther side of a deep ditch[1], and he ran forward to get it for his sister Mary. Mary begged him not to do so, lest[2] he should tumble into the ditch. But Alfred would have his own way.

As he was going down the bank, his foot slipped; and he would have fallen into the ditch, had he not caught hold of some nettles[3] that were growing near. He was not long in scrambling up the bank again, for the sharp sting[4] of the nettles made him forget the beautiful flower.

“There now!” said he, “talk of everything being useful! I am quite sure a stinging nettle is of no use in the world. See how it has stung my fingers! They are covered with white blisters[5], and tingle terribly. I am quite sure grandpapa was wrong when he said that everything was useful.”

“Perhaps not,” said the old gentleman, who at that moment peeped over the hedge.“But I shall go round by the gate, and come to you.”

In a few minutes the old gentleman was with them, examining the smarting fingers of his grandson.

“Well now, grandpapa, please tell me of what use nettles are, for I cannot think that they are of the least use whatever.”

“The nettle,” replied the old gentleman, “has no doubt many uses of which I am ignorant; but I shall point out a few, which may show you that God has not formed it in vain. And I shall begin with the use of which the nettle has been to you, Alfred.”

“To me, grandpapa! I am quite sure that it has been of no use to me.”

“No use!” said the old gentleman, smiling. “Why, did it not save you from tumbling into the ditch?” Here Alfred looked rather foolish, while his grandfather went on: “It is not a very long time, Alfred, since you were praising your nettle-soup. The soup was made of the tender tops of young nettles, and I daresay you remember it very well.”

“Oh, yes!” said Mary. “It was old Martha Smith who told my mother to give it to us; she said it would do us ‘a power of good.’”

“I am glad you remember it. But let us look at the nettle a little nearer.” Just then a bee alighted[6] on one of the nettle flowers. “Do you think that bee, if he could speak, would say that the nettle was of no use? See! He is gathering honey from it, and perhaps finds it as useful as the blooming rose.”

The old gentleman then sat down on the bank; and having his gloves on, he turned over some of the nettle leaves.

“Look here!” said he. “Here is the insect called the ladybird[7], with its red back spotted with black. I daresay this ladybird finds the nettle of some use, or it would not take shelter under its leaves.

“Then, again, here is a spider that has woven his web from one leaf to another: no doubt the spider finds the nettle of some use too. So that the bee, the ladybird, and the spider are all against you.”

Here Alfred and Mary looked at each other, as if now quite satisfied that the nettle had not been made in vain. But their grandfather still went on.

“Nettles are often useful in keeping young people in the right path. When your sister begged you, Alfred, not to go near the ditch, you heeded[8] her not; but when the nettle pointed out your error, you were convinced of it in a moment.”

“The nettle, moreover, teaches a useful lesson. Look at Alfred’s fingers: they are not stung where he grasped the nettle firmly, but only in the parts that touched it lightly.

Many little trials of the world are of the same character: give way to them, they annoy you; meet them bravely, they injure you not, for you overcome them.

“Another excellent lesson to be got from the nettle is, to mind your own business,and not to meddle with that of other people. Let the nettle alone—it never stings you;trespass[]9 upon it—you must take the consequences.

“I might say a good deal more; but if the nettle assists in forming a wholesome food—if it affords honey to the bee, shade and shelter[10] to the ladybird and the spider—if it keeps young people in the proper path, and supplies us with useful lessons—you must allow that the stinging nettle has not been made in vain.”

(789 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. How many characters are there in this story?

A. 3. B. 4. C. 5.

2. Who got stung by the nettles?

A. Mary. B. Alfred. C. Their grandfather.

3. Why did Alfred mention his grandfather when he was stung by the nettle?

A. Because he wanted to ask his grandfather to get rid of the nettles.

B. Because he wanted to proved his grandfather wrong.

C. Because he couldn’t come up the bank and wanted his grandfather to help him.

4. Of what use did his grandfather say the nettle had been to Alfred?

A. It saved him from falling into the ditch.

B. It could be made into delicious soup.

C. Both A and B.

5. According to their grandfather, what insects seemed to find the nettle of some use?

① bees ② ants ③ spider ④ ladybirds

A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④

6. How are nettles often useful to young people?

A. They stand for the hardship on their way to success.

B. They keep them from falling into the ditches.

C. They warn them of the wrong path by hurting them.

7. What is the last lesson his grandfather told Alfred about the nettle?

A. Nettles keep young people in the right path.

B. We should be brave when facing difficulties.

C. We should focus on our own business instead of meddling with others’.

8. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Everything in the world, no matter how simple or small, is of some use.

B. Everybody can benefit from the same thing.

C. We should stay in the right path and be careful not to fall into the ditches.

Ⅱ. Read for words.

1. As he was going down the bank, his foot slipped... (Para. 2, Line 1)

A. 银行 B. 河床 C. 河岸

2. “The nettle,” replied the old gentleman, “has no doubt many uses of which I am ignorant...(Para. 7, Line 2)

A. unaware of B. not remembering C. being unable to explain

3. “It was old Martha Smith who told my mother to give it to us; she said it would do us ‘a power of good.’” (Para. 10, Line 2)

A. different kinds of B. a little bit C. a lot of

4. Many little trials of the world are of the same character: give way to them, they annoy you... (Para. 17, Line 3)

A. give in to B. let someone to pass C. be replaced by

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