Birds and flowers, or, Lays and lyrics of rural life (1873)
Howitt, Mary Botham, 1799-1888, Giacomelli, Hector, 1822-1904 · London ; New York : T. Nelson and Sons · leaf 28
THE NETTLE-KING. It was in a wood both drear and dank, Where giew tlie Nettle so broad and rank; And an owl sat up in an old ash-tree That was wasting away so silently; And a raven was perched above his head, And both of them heard what the Nettle-kini^ said ; 21 … And there was a toad that sat below,Chewing his venom sedate and slow.And he heard the words of the Nettle also. The Nettle he throve, and the Nettle he grew,And the strength of the earth around him drew THE NETTLE-KING. There was a pale stellaria meek,But as he grew strong, so she grew weak ;There…
![An illustration from St. Nicholas [serial] (1873)](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ia-stnicholasserial02dodg-506-323.webp)
![An illustration from St. Nicholas [serial] (1873)](https://img.insideoutlibrary.com/img/200/ia-stnicholasserial352dodg-549-596.webp)
