Of Nettles and Plantains or How a 5-Year Old Discovers the Wonders of Nature

Last year, right after I returned to the Netherlands, I met up with a friend of mine who did a United Nations University course with me back in 2002. She lives in New York, her husband is American and they have two children. Once a year, they come back to the Netherlands for about a month to, of course, visit friends and family, but also to ensure their children get exposed to the Netherlands and Dutch. My friend speaks Dutch to her children and as a result, Charles, her now 5-year old son, speaks perfectly Dutch.

Anyhow, a year ago we walked around the Vondelpark in Amsterdam and Charles told me how he had gotten stung by a nettle the week before. The stinging of the plant had left quite an impression on him.  I then pointed out to him that in the vicinity of a nettle you will always find plantains (the plant, not the banana-type, see picture below). When you get stung by a nettle, you can take a leaf from the plantain and rub it on the area where you got stung and the stinging will disappear. At least, that is what I had once learned when I was young from, I think, my grandfather. It is an interesting phenomenon that nature often offers an antidote to the poison it also produces.

Of course, we did not try it out at the time. For me, honestly, it was such a long time ago I had learned about it and tried it out (and I remember it worked back then) and maybe because of that somehow I kind of doubted the story even though that memory was there, that it once worked. At the same time, you are not, just for the fun of it, going to try it out because, let's be honest, that plant does sting quite a bit and Charles, clearly, was not ready for it either. Either way, it won't hurt to know just in case you happen to be stung again. That was a year ago when Charles was 4 years old.

One year later, they are back in the Netherlands and I saw them again yesterday. This time, there was a story both Laura and Charles had to tell me. Charles had been walking around the Vondelpark again and he accidentally got stung (honestly, those nettles are everywhere). The two ladies that were with him, knowing the stinginess of the plant of course wanted to console Charles but Charles told them to wait while he looked for the plant I had told him about a year ago. A plant that actually makes the pain go away. He found the plant, took a leaf from it, and rubbed it on the affected area and ... it all disappeared. The ladies could not believe it. Neither could I. Not only did Charles remember a story I told him a year ago, he remembered the exact plant he needed, applied it, and it worked!

Laura last year applied antihistamine on the burn which according to Charles did not help much while this simple plant did exactly what was needed. I guess this is how stories about the wonders of nature are passed on from one generation to the next.

So when you get stung by this

Take a leaf of this

 Rub it on the affected area and ... the stinginess will disappear.

And ... don't forget to tell stories about the wonders of nature to the next generation!

Have a great week,
Rose