how many times

'Stinging nettle' is a common weed that populates open spaces in spring and summer. (An aside : it has wonderful medicinal and nutritional properties). As the name implies, it, well, stings, a rather sharp semi-intense burning sensation that gradually fades over few minutes.

When Daivik and me went to pick up Strawberries early in summer, I pointed this plant and told him to avoid it as it stings. I didn't know its name then, and referred to it as 'ow-aa' plant. Turned out that he knew the name, 'but this is Brennnessel', he said, referring it by the German name (that's right, with three consecutive n's in the middle). Remembering unfamiliar names is not an easy task, it requires effort. So why take the trouble, particularly when facts and information are literally on our fingertips, just one tap away? There is always Google. Or, in this particular case, Daivik !

Some days later, I was stung by the plant and got a mildly red patch. When somebody asked me about it Daivik was handily nearby, and all I had to do was ask "Daivik, what's the name of the ow-aa plant?" How convenient ! I simply gave up even trying to remember the name.

But small joys are short-lived. When I had to get the name out of him a third time, he replied really slowly, "Bren-ne-sil" before adding, "how many times should I tell you".

Don’t tell lies

The Background

At home Daivik was told that if he tells lies, a crow will bite him. In the kindergarten, for the same offence, they told him that his nose will grow long.

Vignette 1

A small family run circus company camped near our home. They advertised heavily around the neighborhood, with pictures of tigers, elephants and giraffes. Of course when we visited them, they had two horses, two dogs and a goat. Daivik, who was eager to see the tiger and elephant, was not impressed.  When the circus did not close down at the appointed day and instead extended their stay, he started scanning the sky and quipped, “I think lot of crows will come now”. He further clarified: They told many lies, so their nose will grow so long (shows how long). So many crows will come now to sit on their long nose and bite them.

Vignette 2

We were crossing a green field when Daivik spotted two crows sitting on the grass. He went near them. The stubborn city crows did not seem to consider the grinning three foot object approaching them as a threat. Daivik told them, in Hindi, “I’m not from India”. The crows didn’t care. He told his mother, “look, I told them I’m not from India, and they did not bite me”. His mother said, “But these are German crows”.

He bent down deliberately and told the crows in slow, measured and very clear German “There is nobody in Germany. Everybody has gone to India”.